Right In Front Of Our Faces
by SkullszEyes
Summary: Sebastian deals with his day-to-day life with his friends that randomly appear, investigating murders, and drinking a lot of coffee. He, Joseph, and Kidman are close to finding the serial killers that's been ravaging Krimson City, but it might not be what and who they've expected. Something else is in the horizon, a shadowy organization is making its appearance in Sebastian's life,
1. Chapter 1

"You're art is grotesque."

"Thank you, that's what I was trying to achieve."

"I don't think Seb meant it as a compliment."

The three of them stood in a dim gallery with a few people walking around, looking at the paintings. They've been there for over thirty minutes, one of them was holding a tray of coffee cups in his hand.

Stefano Valentini shrugged. He had one side of his face covered by his brown hair, he wore an immaculate blue suit with red gloves covering his hands. "Either it's compliments or insults, I'm being recognized for my ambition, even how _grotesque_ it might be."

"At least you have dignity," Sebastian Castellano's said. A detective for the KPD who happened to wander into the gallery when Stefano asked for them to come see his opening debut. He considered rejecting the man, but went nonetheless.

Stefano looked down the hall, "They are taking long, aren't they?"

"I'm sure they'll be back soon."

"Ruben is something else, isn't he? The burns make such a nice addition to his work, at least the anatomical sides of his work."

"He might take that as an insult," Joseph Oda said, he was the partner to Sebastian, and was the one holding the tray.

"When has the man ever taken anything as a compliment. Always focused on his scientific methods and not yielding to public scrutiny."

"You two are practically similar," Sebastian comments.

"Don't insult me," Ruben Victoriano said, entering the room with Leslie Withers. The man wore a simple white shirt and pants, bandages covered his face and hands, his glare deepened on the three standing in front of a portrait. Leslie Withers is a patient to Beacon Mental Hospital, he has white hair and wore the simple clothes that most patients of Beacon wore.

"Come now, this isn't the worse thing we've done," Stefano said, taking the coffee cup from Joseph. "It's quite entertaining."

"This isn't what I would consider entertaining," Ruben muttered, looking at the portraits lining the walls.

Joseph walked over to Sebastian, leaning in, "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

"We're on a break, Joseph," Sebastian said, taking the offered cup and bringing it to his lips.

Joseph's phone rang, taking it out of his pocket, he pressed it to his ear. His brows raised as he looked back at Sebastian, "It's Kidman, she's wondering where we are."

"Tell her to come over to the art gallery," Stefano says, placing a hand down on Joseph's shoulder, a grin pulled taut at the corners of his lips. "More the merrier."

"Jimenez is taking forever to get here." Ruben stares at the ticking clock in the corner.

"We'll take Leslie back," Sebastian offers. "Tell Kidman to meet us at Beacon."

"Mind dropping me off there as well?" Ruben asked.

Stefano frowned. "You're leaving me here?"

"Shut up, all you ever want to do is stare at your own art."

"True, I do hope you come visit soon. I'll be releasing more of my art in the following weeks."

"We'll consider it," Sebastian said, taking another sip as he turns and leads Joseph, Ruben and Leslie outside to the cop car sitting in the parking lot.

"We're not really considering it, are we?" Joseph asked as they get into the car.

Sebastian pushed the key in the ignition. "Let's not tell him that." He looked into the rear view mirror at Ruben and Leslie, "Ready?" They nodded their heads and Sebastian pulled out of the parking lot. They drove down the street, the clouds were darkening and rain began spitting on the car.

They closed in on Beacon Mental Hospital, the gates opened and they drove to the curb in front of the building. Kidman was standing outside with a nurse, they were both talking as Ruben and Leslie got out of the car.

"Where were you?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Art gallery," Joseph said, getting out of the car.

Sebastian watched Ruben lead Leslie into the building and looked up at the nurse who wore a deadpan expression. She had long brown hair, glasses sat on her nose, and she wore a white dress with a red sweater.

"Tatiana, it's been some time," he said to her.

"It has, detective," she said.

He couldn't get a smile from her, and usually nothing amused her to warrant a smile. Maybe it was the work that got to her, he found himself not smiling when he went back to the department.

"I got someone to drop me off," Kidman said, gesturing at the cups, "you didn't buy me any?"

"We can get some on the way back to the department," Sebastian said as he opened the door to the car. "Bye Tatiana." She gave a vague wave before turning and heading back into the building.

Joseph and Kidman got into the car and Sebastian drove away from the building. They went to a coffee shop where Kidman got her own cup and then they headed to the department.

"Any signs of the serial killer?" the chief asked, his dry humor seemed to stop the three of them as they were heading to their office. "During your break, I mean."

"No, sir," Sebastian said, exhaustion washing over him, "we'll get too it right away."

The man nodded and went back to work while the three of them walked into Sebastian's office and closed the door.

"What were you doing at the art gallery?" Kidman asked, leaning against a filing cabinet.

Sebastian sat down in his seat, glancing at the reports that were on his desk. The first one was a file that held the newspaper clippings of all the evidence of a serial killer. It's been months and they still haven't found the culprit.

"Stefano called and wanted us to view his work," Joseph said, standing in front Sebastian's desk.

"And how was it?" she asked.

The art flashed before Sebastian's mind, all the strangeness of it, the blood and the gore forming into delicate features upon corpses that were layered and structured. Stefano had deemed it art, but Sebastian was a little disturbed by it. The colors looked realistic, bright, and somehow it strained.

"He'll be there for the entire week before another artist gains the gallery, you can view it any time after work," Sebastian told her.

Kidman gave him a slow nod. "I'll look into any of the reports on the serial killer, and the second serial killer that murdered the model a few weeks ago." She pushed away from the filing cabinet and left the room.

Joseph watched her leave before turning his eyes on Sebastian. "Is something bothering you?"

Sebastian sighed, shoulder relaxing, he placed his cup down and grabbed the files. "We should've found this bastard weeks ago, Joseph." He flipped through it, all the evidence, all the facts were there, the clues that lead to the murderer who created the sick machinations.

"Maybe it's right in our face," Joseph offered, "you know some people think the clues are something extremely small, unnoticeable, but when they find out it's in their face, it all makes sense. Like a puzzle piece."

Sebastian had barely heard what Joseph had said, but he caught the important bits. Looking up at him, brows furrowed, concentrating on the many times they went out looking for this bastard. The first serial killer dumped his victims in the countryside, or near churches, the second serial killer attacked his victims in the city. One was discreet, the other was bold.

"Maybe it is right in front of our faces," Sebastian said, quietly. He stared at the pictures, of the reports of what happened to each of the victims. It all didn't make sense, not fully anyway, and maybe when they caught the sick bastards, the pieces would fall into place.

He closed the files and placed them down on the desk. "I need another coffee."

* * *

 **Notes:** I wrote this for fun, mostly because I wanted to write something simple and normal since I was reading smut between the characters. LOL.

Reviews are appreciated. No flames or bashing please.


	2. Chapter 2

"I don't consider you a great detective," Stefano said, hands tucked in his pockets.

Sebastian grunts, "Mind your own damn business."

They were standing outside in a park, watching Lily playing on the play structures with the other kids. It was the afternoon, no clouds in sight, the heat of the sun made them retreat under a tree for some shade.

"I'm simply stating the obvious, Sebastian."

Sebastian pulls out a cigarette from his pack. "I don't talk shit about your _art._ "

Stefano wrinkles his nose and says, "You insult a piece every time I share one."

Sebastian didn't expect them to hang out again, but here they were. He didn't like mixing work, friends, and family together. Not even blatant strangers with his own kid. Lily didn't seem to mind him, she was afraid at first, but she and Stefano kept their distance, which Sebastian appreciated.

"I need a coffee to deal with you," Sebastian said, blowing out a plume of smoke.

Stefano smiled. "Will that have alcohol in it?"

Sebastian glances at him, "Why? Do you have any?"

"I don't normally hold a flask."

"Don't hold out."

"I'm not."

Sebastian rolls his eyes, "You ruin everything," he spots Joseph and Kidman walking over to them with a tray of coffee, "Joseph, you got any alcohol?"

Joseph raises a brow and frowns. "Why are you thinking about alcohol in a park filled with kids?"

Sebastian slumps his shoulders. "I need to get this taste out of my mouth."

Kidman places a hand on her hip. "Then stop smoking."

"That wasn't what I was talking about," he said, taking one of the coffee's from the tray.

"I thought Leslie was coming to the park," Stefano wondered.

"Jimenez must've disapproved of it," Joseph said.

"I thought Ruben was his official caretaker," Kidman said, taking a sip of her coffee. "Or was he bullshitting?"

"I don't see Ruben bullshitting about anything, he takes things too seriously," Sebastian says, looking off toward Lily who was climbing the ladder and running to the slide. There was a lot of kids, and he was afraid a few might pick on her. He didn't know what else to do but hold her if she started to cry.

There was something else he was peculiar about. Stefano, Joseph, and Kidman who randomly shows up whenever they please, finding his presence entertaining. He never thought he was charismatic as they were, but they seemed to orbit around him. Myra said it was a good thing to have a few friends, even if they were colleagues from work.

"Why are you three here...when did you get here?" he asked, confused.

Stefano frowned. "You said I could come along."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah. You wouldn't shut up about you exhibit last week." He couldn't believe it's only been a week since then, but the days were silent and strained, and his work has only piled up since then. Stress eased down on his shoulders and kept him up during the night. Even now under the shade of the tree, everything looked too bright, the grass, the blue and red structure, the sky itself. His friends were all muted colors, Kidman wore a white blouse and blue jeans, while Joseph kept his jacket on, while Stefano changed his blue suit to a black one. He didn't look any better with his white shirt and black pants.

He pulled at his collar, he could feel sweat on his skin that was sticking to his clothes.

"There was nothing better to do," Kidman said, "so we came along as well."

Joseph nodded. "You don't seem to mind."

"No, I guess I don't," said Sebastian, dropping his cigarette that wasn't burned all the way through and placed his foot over it. He took a sip of his coffee and warmed at the bitterness on his tongue. There was something about the comfort of friends that made the afternoon a little bit more surreal, and maybe work had pushed him to his limit on so many occasions that he didn't appreciate the company until now. "Thanks for being here."

"It's not a funeral," Stefano said, looking off toward the kids on the structure, "it's a park."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at him. "Do you want me to retract my words?"

Stefano looked at him, brow arched. "You're serious today."

"He's always serious," Kidman said. "You're just not around to see it."

"There's always the dry wit," Joseph said.

They stood in silence, drinking their coffees. It isn't until Sebastian noticed something in his peripheral vision, he turned his head to the right. "Looks like he got the approval."

Stefano, Kidman, Joseph all looked down the path to see Ruben walking with what looks like an excited Leslie. However, they were also accompanied by Jimenez.

"Ruben is a grown man," Kidman said, shaking her head.

"Leslie is too," Stefano commented, moving his cup back and forth and frowning.

"So why does Jimenez have to walk with them like they're both children?" Joseph added.

Sebastian didn't have a good answer as Ruben and Jimenez noticed the group standing under a tree. He was sure they looked more like a dark sore spot surrounded by life. Ruben said something to Leslie before Leslie headed for the swings.

"Hold my coffee," Kidman said, shoving it into Stefano's hands and walking off toward Leslie.

Stefano frowned. "What kind of coffee does she drink?" he asked, taking a sip. "Too sweet for me."

"I didn't think you'd stay long," Ruben said as he walked over to them.

Sebastian checked his watch. "I'm thinking another thirty minutes and we'll go."

"That should be enough time for Leslie as well," Jimenez said, looking between the three of them.

There was always something sketchy about the doctor, but Sebastian never questioned it. He thought the same about Stefano and Ruben and figured it was his lack of intuition. He looked off toward Kidman pushing Leslie on the swing. There was something odd about her as well. The only person he didn't feel was hiding something was Joseph. The man was too nice.

"Why are you here, Jimenez?" Sebastian asked, ignoring how blunt he was and the outrageous looks coming from both Stefano and Joseph. The only other reaction he got was from Ruben and all he did was look away and smile.

Jimenez seemed to understand the question, tipping his head slightly up, and said, "I couldn't leave my patient with Ruben...unlike last time."

"We came back," Ruben said, glaring off toward the kids on the play structure.

"Forty-five minutes late," Jimenez emphasized.

"Besides the obvious," Stefano interjected, "how's your wife?" he asked Sebastian.

Sebastian was glad for the conversation change, and he noted Ruben was as well.

"She's none of your business," he said, looking for Lily amongst the mass of children.

"I'm sure she isn't, but humor us."

Sebastian stayed quiet for a moment, taking a sip, the coffee was beginning to warm. "She's fine. Working as usual."

Stefano nudged him in the shoulder. "Come on, Sebastian, be a little more exciting."

"I'm not gossiping about my relationship with the four of you."

"Please don't," Jimenez said, "I don't need to know any of the finer details."

"I don't either," Ruben said, watching Leslie and Kidman.

"I already know most of it," Joseph muttered, taking a sip of his coffee.

Sebastian glared at him, and managed to ignore Stefano's nudging. He didn't need to discuss his relationship, Myra was good, she was less stressed out than he was, and she cared for Lily when she had the time. Their marriage was normal, and it was good.

He spotted Lily running over to Leslie and Kidman, she spoke to them before waving and headed toward them.

"Looks like we're leaving," Sebastian said, passing Stefano his cup.

Lily looked between Jimenez and Ruben before her gaze slid to Joseph and Stefano. A range of _'not knowing who these people were'_ to _'recognition'_. Her eyes settled on Sebastian and she walked over to him and hugged him.

"Is it time to leave?" she asked, her hair stuck to her face, and she panted from running around on the play structure.

He picked her up in his arms. "Yes. Are you tired?" She nodded, placing her head against his shoulder. "See you guys later," he told the four of them.

They waved and as he walked away, he managed to wave at Kidman and Leslie. They walked out of the park toward the car where he placed her in the passenger seat, rounding the car, he slid into the driver's. Lily leaned her head against the door and closed her eyes.

"We'll be home soon," he said, starting up the car.

* * *

 **Notes:** I'm not really sure if I should continue this. I'll wait for the response on this story. :)

Reviews are appreciated. No flames or bashing please.


	3. Chapter 3

She was killed in the most heinous of ways. Her head was missing and she lay crumpled like a rolled up paper on the ground, surrounded by flower petals. The flowers themselves were inside the neck of where the head should've been. The dress it wore was red and black that poofed out at the bottom, her legs covered by black tights were splattered with blood, and this corpse wore black shiny heels to finish it off.

"What do you think?" Joseph asked, standing beside Sebastian. They were currently at the crime scene with many other officers inside the hotel where the body was found by a maid.

Sebastian stared, perplexed by the grandiose way the corpse was laid out, as if delicate but at the same time uncared for. "Looks familiar."

Kidman stood beside him holding a notepad in her hands, she looked at Sebastian with a frown on her lips. "Familiar?"

"We've seen this before on the other corpse that was found," Joseph said. "She was laid out in a similar position, wearing extravagant clothes, but also missing the head."

Sebastian shook his head. "No. I mean, yeah, but it looks like…"

"Like what?" Kidman asked.

"Like Stefano's art." He knew it was absurd to think like this, but it looked too uncanny to be a coincidence.

"Where is she?" someone was yelling in the back, making Sebastian, Kidman, and Joseph turn around and head for the hallway. They caught sight of Stefano behind the yellow tape, holding a camera in his hand. "Tell me where my Anastasia is."

"Stefano?" Sebastian wondered, waving at the policemen who were trying to stop Stefano from getting too close to where the corpse was. "What are you doing here?"

Stefano looked between the three of them, his brows were furrowed and his eyes pleaded. "Anastasia...I heard she was here...that she was—" He shook his head as if he couldn't say the next word.

"You know the victim?" Sebastian asked, eyeing Stefano.

Stefano nodded. "I do. We've meant to meet for the weekend for a photoshoot. She was supposed to be my muse for the next art display I'll be having here in Krimson City."

"How did you know she was the one that died?" Sebastian inquired.

"I heard some officers outside describing the...corpse before I entered the building." His gaze went past them to the room where the body was and it seemed to disturb him.

"Stefano, we're not entirely sure if this...woman is who you say she is," said Kidman, looking down at her notepad and the notes she written of what he had said.

"Let me see her," Stefano said, almost walking past them, but Sebastian and Joseph grabbed his arms and pushed him back.

"We can't let civilians into the crime scene," Sebastian told him, noting the dread that passed over his features. Maybe he was wrong about Stefano, his art may have been influenced by something strange, but the murder couldn't be pointing to him.

"It could help, Sebastian," Joseph said, "it might not even be this woman, Anastasia."

Sebastian looked at Kidman. "Get the names of all the people who were staying in this hotel."

She nodded and walked past Stefano who was gripping his camera, his eyes stayed focused on the door.

"You're not squeamish?" Sebastian asked.

Stefano frowned. "You've seen my art."

He has, and that factor was still on his mind. With a sigh, he stepped back and lead Stefano to the crime scene. He shooed the officers that were in the room and the second Stefano stepped past the threshold. He let out a gasp, his eyes glued on the corpse, roving over the simplicity of the body, the structure of the arms and legs, the flowers that stuck out of the neck.

He raised his camera and pressed a button, a light flashed.

Sebastian turned his head and glared at him. "Stefano."

"Sorry. I...I'm astonished."

"Do you recognize the...corpse?" Joseph asked.

"The lovely delicate posture of her body, the warmth of her skin, the dress I've chosen for the first week of our photoshoot, even the smoothness of her neck and—"

"Stefano," Sebastian repeated.

Stefano nodded slowly, the color of his face was sickly, finally looking away from the corpse and down at his camera, "Yes, this is her, my Anastasia."

Sebastian sighed, mostly because he knew what was going to happen next, and he also knew that Stefano didn't need this in his condition. He looked to Joseph who gave a short nod.

"Stefano, I'm going to need you to come to the police department and answer a few questions."

Stefano furrowed his brows, "Why?"

"Because you're now a suspect to the death of Anastasia," he said, hoping Kidman could hurry up with the list of names. He waved to an officer to escort Stefano to the police department.

"Do you think he did it?" Joseph asked.

"We've known the man for some time, I'm not really sure he's capable of much," Sebastian said, his emotions going still as he gazed back at the corpse. There was a lot to think about, too much, but he couldn't grasp an ounce of care now that he felt exhausted.

"You don't really have an open opinion of him."

"No, I do not."

They spent a few more minutes in the room before being interrupted by Kidman. She gave the list to Sebastian, and as he read over the names, he came to one at the bottom and it fit what Stefano had said. The woman who was killed in this very room was indeed, Anastasia.

They headed back to the police department and walked into a room opposite of where Stefano was. He was being interrogated, and he answered each question that was given to him. Sebastian watched his expressions, his posture, everything that he needed to know if the man was lying.

Once Stefano was left alone inside the room and Sebastian was given more information. They waited on the alibi's Stefano had told them, and by the evening, they arrived.

"He's telling the truth," Joseph said, looking over the files. "Each one that's been said."

Sebastian covered his face with his hands. "He might need a coffee, Joseph."

"I always go for coffee."

Kidman sighed. "I'll go this time."

"Get me a cup," Sebastian said, and Kidman waved her hand as she headed down the hallway.

"What are you going to say to him?" Joseph asked.

Sebastian looked through the two-way mirror at Stefano who was staring down at his hands. "I'm not apologizing if that's what you mean."

"Of course not."

The second Kidman arrived with the cup of coffee. He took both and walked into the room. Stefano looked up right away before his face softened and his shoulders relaxed. Sebastian sat down and passed him the cup.

Stefano looked down at the liquid, "Why must it end like this?" he asked.

Sebastian brought the cup to his lips, savoring the bitter taste before placing it down. "Do you usually come in for suspected murders? I didn't know that was a hobby."

The corner of Stefano's lips tugged, "I meant the coffee."

"The only luxury we have at the moment," Sebastian said, leaning forward, "your alibi's have been checked, including your background with Ms. Anastasia Cortez."

Stefano raised his head. "I'm free to go?"

Sebastian sat back in his chair. "Yes." They spent a moment staring at one another, Sebastian noted the look on Stefano's face, he wasn't surprised in the least that he was now free from the interrogation room. As if he expected it. Sebastian gave the man credit, but he couldn't rid himself of this strange feeling.

They rose from their chairs and Sebastian lead him out into the hall. Stefano smiled at both Joseph and Kidman.

"Your evenings are full?" he asked.

"We're still looking for the killer," Kidman said, "sorry that you were...brought in."

"Don't be. It was expected, I'm just saddened what came of Anastasia." He shook his head and sighed. "I should go home. It's going to be a long week trying to find a new model that could live up to Anastasia's prestige."

He headed down the hall while the three watched him leave.

"This is the second murder that has to do with a model," Sebastian said once Stefano turned the corner and left their sight. "Can you get any information on the last model. I want to know who she worked with."

Kidman nodded. "I'll get on it right away."

Once she was gone, Joseph looked at Sebastian. "We're still trying to find out about the other serial killer. The one that killed the farmers outside of Krimson...they were torn apart and—"

"Let's just focus on one serial killer for now."

Joseph nodded.

Sebastian couldn't stop thinking about Stefano, the way he reacted, his timing, and his calmness. He knew he shouldn't be suspecting...a friend, if he could call it that, but the coincidence was too great. Maybe Stefano wasn't the murderer, he wouldn't know until they've researched more on the previous deceased model.

Sebastian looked down at his cup before saying to Joseph, "Let's go. We have all night to deal with this."


	4. Chapter 4

"I wouldn't have expected anything less from him." Ruben said, standing outside of Beacon on the front steps with Sebastian, both of them holding cups of coffee in their hands.

"He'd be insulted," Sebastian mused, not sure if he cared.

Ruben sniffled from the cold wind, "When is he not?"

"Other than the normal criticism, he's taken it lightly since the death of his model." That was a few days ago, and they were still looking into information about the two deceased models, some of what they found was private within the modeling contract.

"Decapitation?"

Sebastian raised a brow at Ruben. "You've read the newspaper." It was plastered all over Krimson since the information was out, and the police couldn't keep it under wraps any longer. Now the public knew there was a serial killer on the loose, one that's been targeting models.

"I didn't have too since the last model was found in the same state," Ruben said, taking a sip of his coffee.

Sebastian nodded, recalling how the model was laid out, the gore, and the glamorizing of her death surrounded by rose petals. The killer had an idealization and that made it easy to distinguish him. "Gruesome, Krimson City is his hunting ground. We should find the bastard soon enough. Everyone eventually makes a mistake, we're just waiting on it."

"And the other?"

Sebastian frowned. "Other?"

Ruben looked at him, "The other serial killer," he clarified.

"It's unlike you to be this interested."

"I'm not, but since we're on the topic, might as well discuss it."

Sebastian sighed, running a hand through his hair. Another thought that he didn't want to linger on for too long, it still bothered him and his colleagues at work. "Haven't found a trace of him, he may be discreet, but he's also messy. He'll make a mistake as well. I might even get a raise for bringing in two serial killers."

"If you find them," Ruben muttered, taking a sip of his coffee, "what if they're the same person."

Sebastian almost rolled his eyes, "Would the serial killer be so audacious to take up two persona's to hide his true identity?"

Ruben glared at him, "I was just wondering. No need for the dramatics."

"We have considered it," Sebastian began, "but they both have different M.O's. They're spread apart, different motives, different sides of the hunting ground."

"So they're sharing the space?" Ruben asked.

"I don't think they're sharing, but keeping each other at a distance. They respect each other's presence, but at the same time indifferent to it."

Ruben nodded slowly. "You're quite observant."

"Have to be in this business." He looked down at his watch and frowned, "Well, my break is over, I'll see you later, Ruben."

"Yeah, see you later" he said, turning and walking into the building without a backwards glance.

Sebastian walked down the cement steps toward the cop car sitting by the curb. He got in and drove away from Beacon and back to the police department. He walked to his office where he found Joseph and Kidman, both of them looked like they were arguing, which wasn't new, somehow they always seemed to be at each other's necks about different topics.

They both looked at Sebastian as he opened the doors and closed them behind him. The trio stared at each other, and Sebastian let out a deep sigh.

"I don't want to hear it." He walked to his chair and sat down.

"Where were you?" Joseph asked.

"Beacon, talking with Ruben," Sebastian said, closing his eyes.

"When have you two ever talked about anything," Kidman wondered.

Sebastian blinked his eyes open, "We talk, but mostly about mundane things. Work, work, work, mostly my work since he doesn't open up about his own."

Kidman sighed, she glanced to Joseph, and Sebastian noticed the ire in her gaze before she placed her hand down on a file that was sitting on top of Sebastian's desk. "This is the new reports on the models."

She lifted her hand and Sebastian picked up the files. "Have you looked at them?"

"I have," Kidman said, crossing her arms. "They don't give us much clarification as I thought they would."

"They don't lead back to Stefano," Joseph said, shaking his head.

Sebastian read over the reports and dropped the files on the desk. "I guess we should be glad that one of our friends isn't a serial killer."

"He moved up to friends already?" Kidman said, brow arched, "last week you called him a nuisance."

"Only when he talks my ear off about his art. He seriously won't shut up about it, sometimes I think maybe he isn't—"

"Can we not talk about him when we have better things to discuss," Joseph interjected.

Sebastian sat back in his chair. "I'm just saying, he might have narcissistic tendencies that need to be looked over."

"We're detectives, not psychologists," Joseph said.

Sebastian nodded slowly. "You're right, I should get Ruben to look him over."

"Sebastian." Joseph said a bit sharply, "let's stay on topic."

"We've also got information on the second serial killer," Kidman said, reaching for a file underneath the one they just looked at. "There were several more bodies dumped in the river near the border of the city."

"He's been active for sometime," Sebastian said, looking over the file. There were black and white pictures of the bodies that were taken, each one were cut up and dismembered, but there was also the detail of surgery that concerned their brains. Most of it was either cut out, or simply prodded at before being discarded.

"A few months now," Kidman said.

"He's obviously delusional," Sebastian said, leaning forward against his desk, brows pinched in concentration over the reports, "thinking he's either a scientist or a doctor."

"That still doesn't help us locating him," Joseph said, looking out the window.

No it doesn't, but it gives them some insight on the killers. He was right about what he said to Ruben, the serial killers were completely different and they disposed their bodies with either reckless care or dumping them. One of the serial killer was either narcissistic, he enjoys his persona, the artist that constructs his victims in gory situations with delicate postures, taking their heads as a trophy. The second serial killer was different to the first, the bodies that were dumped were not cared for, and the people were alive during whatever monstrosity he placed them in from the medicine that was found in their veins, and he has surgical knowledge and even scientific experience, meaning the second serial killer is a doctor or someone who wants to be a doctor but was denied.

Sebastian covered his face with his hands. "There's a lot to consider," he said to Kidman and Joseph. "I'm not sure what I'm thinking or what I'm saying is right, but I do think they are essentially different people with different motives, and they must be located with the utmost care."

Joseph turned. "Utmost care? You mean in brutal conduct."

Sebastian looked at both of them, and they didn't waver as they looked at him. He wouldn't tell them, but he was proud of them. "You never complained before."

"We wouldn't, but it does get results," Kidman said, breaking eye contact.

"It's against the law," Joseph said, shaking his head.

"Bending a few rules never hurt anyone," Sebastian said.

"It will if someone catches you."

"Me?" Sebastian said, frowning, "we're in this together."

Joseph sighed. "So you're expecting us to stay on this burning ship with you."

Sebastian glanced between them before saying, "Yes. That is exactly what I'm expecting."

"I need a coffee," Kidman said, leaving the room.

Joseph ran a hand through his short hair, "I do too." He left the room, following after Kidman and leaving Sebastian to his own devices.

Sebastian picked up the file and leaned back against his chair. He read over the reports again and again, trying to make sense of the situations of each of the serial killers were in. He knew they'd eventually find them, they hadn't exactly moved away from Krimson, nor have they gone silent.

They were bold, they knew they were being hunted, and they didn't care.


	5. Chapter 5

"I didn't know you had a cat," Stefano said, petting the black cat with the red ribbon around its neck, it was perched on the couch in Sebastian's house.

Sebastian looked over his shoulder. "Yeah, it's not mine. It seems to find its way into the house."

"Have you named it?" Stefano asked.

"Naming it would lead to attachment, and I'd rather not go down that road." He walked into the kitchen, brows pinched, he was looking for something, but wasn't sure of what as he glanced over the counters and table.

"I've named my beautiful Obscura," Stefano said, stepping into the kitchen.

"That camera thing?" Sebastian asked, glancing at Stefano with an arched brow.

Stefano's expression fell flat. "Yes...that camera...thing."

If Stefano was upset, Sebastian wasn't paying attention to him as he looked to the fridge but found nothing. "Hmm. Myra isn't here, nor is Lily. Why didn't she say anything?"

"Already misplacing your wife and kid?"

"Shut up," Sebastian said, checking the coffee pot, "they're probably out for the evening." He grabbed a coffee filter and placed into the top of the pot and filled it with coffee, then poured water into the pot and poured it into the back of the coffee maker. He turned around once he was finished and the coffee behind him was brewing. He noted the distant look on Stefano's face as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

"How are you?"

Stefano looked up, his lips pulled into a smile, but it didn't last long as he looked down at his gloved hands. "I don't like thinking about her…" It's a few days since then, and Stefano hadn't visited Sebastian until now, "At least I have her beauty forever captured." He reached for the camera that was around his neck.

Sebastian crossed his arms. He didn't know what Stefano was going through, but he knew he had to be sympathetic to him. "We'll find the serial killer who did this."

Stefano looked up and smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"You don't believe me?"

"Oh, I believe you, maybe more than you think."

"Then what's the problem?" Sebastian asked, curious of why he felt the strange feeling again, the itch that made him want to look more closely at Stefano.

"The problem," Stefano placed the camera onto the table, but he kept his hands around it, "is that I'm afraid of the end result."

Sebastian looked at him, but not just the outside features of his face and clothing, maybe he was trying to see what he was thinking, and even that was difficult.

A knock at the front door snapped him out of it. He pushed away from the counter and walked to the door, he answered it and a woman stood on the other side. She held a box in her arms, and a smile on her face.

"Sebastian Castellanos?" she asked.

"Yes...I am," he said.

"This belonged to Myra, she wanted it to be sent to you from her office."

Sebastian furrowed his brows, confused. "What do you mean? Why?"

The woman shrugged, and he seemed to recognize her from the department. She was one of the junior detectives like Kidman. "I don't know. She called earlier, told me to grab some specific files and place them into this box, and take them to you."

He took the box from her, "Thanks."

She nodded and walked away.

He closed the door and headed back into the kitchen where Stefano was pouring himself a cup of coffee.

He turned, "What's that?"

Sebastian placed it on the table and opened the box. "I don't know. Something from Myra, she wanted me to have this."

"Maybe it's a cake," Stefano said, leaning against the counter and bringing the cup to his lips.

"She's not the type for surprises," Sebastian said, and when he opened it, it wasn't a cake but like what the woman had said. A box filled with files. He sifted through them for the next few minutes, Stefano helped, but he was perplexed as Sebastian.

"She wants you to do more work," Stefano said, placing his cup down next to a file, "I don't think I want a woman like that."

Sebastian didn't think it was about work. Myra wouldn't have sent it just for him to sift through it, there was something more, something she wanted him to find out. Most of the files were of incidents that happened in Krimson City, people going missing, murders, and lists of names. He found a file with her own writing from a few days ago.

 _MOBIUS has latched on to the Core, now they only need the STEM._

"What's STEM?" Sebastian wondered. He looked through more files, but found nothing else about this machine or thing that she was talking about. He noticed a pattern, most of the files went back to Beacon Mental Hospital, a few were of the department with names that went down a page, and missing reports of certain patients.

"Experimentation?" Stefano asked, holding a file. "This one relates to old experimentation within Beacon Mental Hospital. Most of the patients—"

"Went missing," Sebastian finished, "I know, it's always been pushed back for some reason. No one at the department wants to go near the case."

"What stopped you?" Stefano asked, picking up his cup.

Sebastian sighed. "I was never given the case. I never thought of it until now."

He didn't know what Myra was trying to tell him, but he knew that she was investigating something. Maybe the missing patients of Beacon Mental Hospital, but why were there names of people at the department. What did it mean? He looked at the names again, and several were crossed out, people he didn't know. There was something peculiar near the bottom page.

"Juli Kidman," he whispered, unsure of what he was looking at.

"She's on the list?" Stefano asked, tilting his head to the side.

Sebastian dropped the files and sighed. "I don't know what I'm doing."

Stefano frowned at his cup. "Maybe she wants you to investigate," he said, walking over to the coffeemaker.

"When did you start helping?"

"I always help."

The cat jumped onto the table and looked up at Sebastian. He frowned down at it and started to pet it.

"MOBIUS….what is that exactly? What is STEM and specifically, what is the Core?"

"So many questions," Stefano said, pouring himself another cup.

Sebastian stared at the files, everything went back to Beacon Mental Hospital, and the murders that's been going on. Not the one that killed the models in the city, but the serial killer who was dumping bodies after surgically cutting open their skulls.

He opens another file and found pictures of all the bodies that were found. Sifting through those while Stefano started to pet the cat.

"They're related," he said, shaking his head, "she was onto something...more than I thought."

"What do you mean?" Stefano asked.

"The bodies, most of them were Beacon Mental Hospital patients, the less likely ones were the vagrants found out in the outskirts, but it all comes back to Beacon."

"Shall we check out Beacon?" Stefano asked.

Sebastian shook his head. "This shouldn't be for civilians, I'll call Joseph and Kidman and we'll investigate Beacon, ask a few questions, find out what is going on inside the hospital." He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. "I'll drop you off."

"You're no fun," Stefano said, following behind.

"This isn't supposed to be fun."

"That's why you're no fun." Stefano closed the door behind him and all was left in the house were the open files and the cat that slept on them.


	6. Chapter 6

"He's not here?" Sebastian asked, perplexed.

Tatiana nodded slowly. "That's what I just said."

Sebastian was leaned against the counter in Beacon Mental Hospital. He had the fine idea of asking where Ruben Victoriano was, and was going to ask him a few questions. Of course he would have liked to do this with his partners, Joseph and Kidman, but they were nowhere to be found at the police department. Apparently one of the officers there saw them leave together, which is a weird thing altogether.

Tatiana raised her cup which smelled like sweet coffee. "Anything else, detective?"

Sebastian frowned, he looked around the room, it was a rather large foyer with a few benches and plants. Some of the patients were occupying said benches with a nurse nearby.

He turned back to Tatiana, "What is Leslie's room number?"

She checked the computer in front of her, a few clicking was heard and she raised her eyes to him. "Leslie's room, 204."

"Mind if…?"

Tatiana nodded, "Do not disturb any of the other patients."

With that Sebastian headed down the hall to the stairs. He climbed them and walked down the white halls to Leslie's room. He tried the knob, and it opened, when he stepped inside, expecting to see Leslie, but he wasn't there.

"What the...where is he?" He looked at a few papers on the desk across from the bed, and picked them up. They were schedule's, some of them were about pills, sleeping arrangements and on the back, there was something else. Writing.

"It's completed," Sebastian murmured, looking over what seemed like Leslie's handwriting. "STEM...he knew what it was...but where was he?" He left the room and looked down either hall, but stayed on the elevator to his far right. He walked toward it, passing a patient, and entered. He didn't know what he was doing, but he had to find out more. So he pressed the basement level, and waited until the elevator closed and began to descend.

Myra's research seemed to go back to Beacon Mental Hospital. He didn't know why, maybe it was about the missing patients, or the patients that were found outside of the city. But everything always seemed to come back to this building. He recalled noting a few pictures, black and white and a bit grainy of some kind of machine with beds on either side of it.

He had the feeling that was STEM, but he wouldn't know until he found it. The elevator came to an abrupt stop and the doors slid open. He stepped out, cautiously looking around. It was a hallway with no lights, he checked his gun and made his way down the corridor to the end where a door was.

He walked through many empty rooms, and halls, until he came to a door at the end and a streak of light came through the crack in the door. He took his gun, and pushed open the door to find Ruben standing to the side while Leslie was situated in the bathtub.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sebastian asked, pointing his gun at Ruben who was near some kind of machine that looked like it was going to start up the larger one in front of them.

"What are you doing here?" Ruben asked, annoyed, his eyes cold as they narrow at Sebastian.

"Me? I should be asking you that. Step away from that, Ruben."

Ruben dropped his hand to the side and stepped away from the machine. Sebastian walked over to Leslie and checked if he was alright.

"He's under a sedative," Ruben said, tucking his hands into his white coat, "I didn't want him moving around and screaming while I was doing this."

Sebastian looked at Ruben, wondering why he was being so nonchalant. His eyes stayed vacant, and there was obviously the annoyance of being interrupted.

"What are you doing to him?"

With a sigh, he said, "Testing out my machine."

"Your machine?"

Ruben glared, "Yes, _my_ machine."

Sebastian looked at it more, there were wires connected to the center of the machine all the way to the bathtubs. Each one had a port next to it, while another wire went to where Ruben was standing.

"This is your machine?"

Ruben sighed, "Yes. How many times do I have to say it. This is mine...a prototype to the completed one, but mine nonetheless."

Sebastian glanced around, he figured Jimenez would be in the room, but the doctor wasn't there. Then he noticed something on a metal table, he eyed it, before recognizing it from one of Myra's photos, there was something just like it. He picked it up and turned to Ruben who also looked curious of what Sebastian was doing.

"You know MOBIUS?" His finger smoothed over Ruben's name on the keycard. Of course Ruben knew them, he was a part of them.

"I didn't know you knew them as well," Ruben said, his expression dulled.

"Where are my wife and daughter?" he asked, pocketing the keycard and walking slowly toward Ruben.

Ruben glanced at Leslie, and back at Sebastian. "What?"

"My wife and daughter are missing...or at least I think they are," Sebastian said.

"You think they are?" Ruben wonders. "Maybe you should wait around a bit longer, they'll come back."

"My wife was investigating MOBIUS, and most of her evidence came back to Beacon, and now I find you hooking one of the patients to this machine. I don't think it's coincidence. Now tell me who is MO—"

"Wow," a voice stopped them both and they looked toward the doorway where Stefano was standing in the threshold, holding a cup of coffee, with the other hand, a gun.

"Stefano, what the fuck?" Sebastian said, aggravated that the man seemingly followed him.

Stefano pointed the gun at Sebastian, but his eyes stayed fixed on the machine. "You built this," he says to Ruben who places his hands on his hips, "I knew you were building something, but the actual thing...it's gorgeous, a masterpiece."

"Enough," Sebastian said, his hand tightening on the gun, he was trying to figure out how Stefano had a gun of his own. "Why did you follow me?"

Stefano glanced at him. "I kept my distance, knew you'd finally figure out what was going on, but this is something I didn't expect."

Sebastian furrowed his brows. Stefano may talk strange, but this was something else. He knew something about this. "You knew about MOBIUS."

"I don't know _of_ them, I had my suspicions," Stefano said, walking over to the machine, he disregarded Leslie. "They aren't the kind of organization that likes to be known...I figured out some of their agents, but never got too close."

"You know where Myra and Lily are," Sebastian said, gritting his teeth. "Where are they?"

Stefano sighed, craning his head to the side, his gun still fixated on Sebastian. "I don't where they are, MOBIUS must have them."

Why were they part of it? Who were they? His friends, or what he considered friends, were blurring the lines between what was going on, and the lies they spewed. He looked to Ruben who still stood to the side, his expression annoyed, and Stefano who revered the machine in front of him.

He couldn't connect the dots, but it was slowly coming together. Ruben's machine was under Beacon, he's using a patient for his machine. And Stefano, he has a gun, his motives are unclear, and Sebastian doesn't want to believe what he is thinking.

"You're the serial killers," he said, the words tasted like ash on his tongue, he looked at Ruben who didn't seem to be defending himself, nor was Stefano. "Both of you? Or just one of you?"

"Both," Stefano said before Ruben could.

The truth of it was staggering, and before he could say anything else. The doors burst open and several men in tactical gear stormed in. Both of their assault rifles pointed at Sebastian and Stefano.

"When will the interruptions end?" Ruben wondered.

Sebastian relinquished the gun and went down to his knees, his hands behind his head. The same for Stefano and Ruben, and as Sebastian looked over to see who was leading the barrage. He exhaled, his eyes widening at the woman with short hair, wearing a black coat and blue jeans, her gaze went over Ruben, Stefano, Leslie, and stopped at Sebastian.

Her face didn't soften as she walked over to him. "Hello Sebastian."

He recalled Myra's list, and at the bottom was Kidman's name. The list was all the agents of MOBIUS who were stationed throughout the city. He should've known, but he couldn't accept the possibility that most of his friends were the enemy.

"How could you?" he asked, almost rising, before one of the men shoved him back. He was about to fight again, but he felt something entering his neck.

Kidman held a syringe in her hand, her eyes empty as she said, "You should've stayed away."


	7. Chapter 7

"At least now I don't have to hide, now I can show you my art."

Sebastian kicked Stefano, in turn, Stefano glared at him. "You never do shut up about that. Now that you're free to talk."

A smile pulled at the corner of Stefano's lips, a smile that spoke many dark things that Sebastian should have noticed a long time ago. He was blinded by friendship, by the deadness that surrounded his life, the dull ache, the grey fog. Things were now clear, and Stefano was too obvious in all his exploits. He should've known.

"It was getting annoying hiding this part of myself."

Sebastian pulled at the restraints around his wrists, but all he could do was kick Stefano again. Stefano moved his leg away from him, frowning at Sebastian.

They were locked in a room, their hands bound by cuffs and were unfortunately sitting on the floor with said cuffs above them. They could've stood, if it wasn't for the cuff around their leg that made them sit on the floor in an awkward position.

"Please, shut up."

"This isn't my fault, Sebastian."

"It might as well be."

Stefano looked at the door. "You think they'll bring Ruben back?"

"Now you care about someone other than yourself and your art?" Sebastian yanked on the cuff but all it did was clink together.

"I do have my hobbies."

Sebastian couldn't rid his mind of what was going on outside. They had handcuffed them, and made them sit for a few hours before coming for Ruben. He wore a frown and didn't bother talking to either Sebastian and Stefano. Whatever he was working on made him shut down to any questions that they had.

Of course, Sebastian was more professional while Stefano only wanted to know how it worked and what it entailed.

STEM. It was in Myra's notes, including whatever the CORE was and MOBIUS. An organization that possibly has his wife and daughter. And now himself. What were they going to do with him and Stefano. He did stop caring about Stefano's wellbeing after a few hours being in the same room with him.

Stefano's actual personality began to bleed through the facade he created. Sure he was annoying before with his art obsession, now he was able to describe it more thoroughly. Every detail of body parts he used, the simplicity of cutting through flesh and melding it together. The photo's he took, the effort he gone through to make it right.

It had disgusted Sebastian.

The door opened and two guards walked in. Both Sebastian and Stefano stayed where they were on the ground, and their cuffs came loose. They were taken from the room and separated.

Sebastian was placed in a small square room with a two way mirror. A woman sat across from him, files laid out on the table, and a cup of coffee beside it. She raised her head, her hair was dark and long, and she studied him before glancing down at her notes.

"Sebastian Castellano's, detective to the KCPD."

"Am I that recognizable?" he asked, sitting down on the chair and crossing his arms.

She raised the cup of coffee and took a sip before placing it down. "My name is Hoffman, and I want to ask a few questions."

"And I'd like to ask you some as well," he said.

She straightened, placing her arms on the files, hands clasped before her. "I already know what you're going to ask and your answers are however classified."

"Classified?" he asked, brows furrowed, "how is knowing where my daughter and my wife, classified?"

"How long have you known Ruben Victoriano?" Hoffman asked, ignoring his question.

Sebastian stifled the urge to yell, to even go as low as to beg for the information of where his wife and daughter were. He thought of Kidman and her betrayal, her cold eyes calculating, her words insincere, there was always something wrong with her, something hidden and now revealed.

It wasn't just her betrayal. It was Ruben's, and Stefano's. He had considered them friends, and when the truth came out, all he could feel was a hollow deep inside of him, aching, and yearning for a lie to cover the truth. Except it was there, the smile on Stefano's face, reveling at the machine Ruben had constructed beneath Beacon Mental Hospital.

The images of body parts found outside of the city, and the bodies within. The blood soaked on cement and dirt, and other places as well, on fine red rugs and waxed wooden floors.

The terrible procedures both had gone through, the torture that wrung deep, soaking blood and filth. He should've know something was wrong, but he couldn't see it. They were right in front of his eyes and he blinded himself to the truth.

What was he meant to do now that they were exposed? Of course it came easy, he just learned two of his friends were serial killers, the logical thing to do was to handcuff them and put them behind bars. Except this organization made it difficult now that his partner, Kidman, was a part of it, and he couldn't help but think that Myra was also a part of it.

How could his life be surrounded by so many lies without his realization to it?

"Sebastian," Hoffman spoke.

He looked at her, gritted his teeth.

She sat back in her chair. "I asked you a question."

He nodded. "A few years…"

"Do you know a definite date?"

Sebastian's brows furrowed. He should've paid attention. "His sister died...at least that's what he told me...I met him right after when I was doing a case, he was at the hospital...I'm not really sure why. I never took interest in what he did, nor what he said. Our conversations were usually one sided."

Hoffman nodded. "I see. And Stefano Valentini?"

"A year ago," Sebastian said, finding the topic on Stefano annoying. He usually found the man annoying, he was a little too charismatic, but then he figured it was probably a ruse to hide his actual personality.

"How did you meet him?"

Sebastian smiled at the absurdity. "A case...a model of his died and we were investigating. Since then, I haven't been able to shake him off."

Hoffman wrote something down before raising her eyes at him. "How did you meet Joseph Oda?"

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at her. "Why? What does Joseph have to do with this?" Realization soon came to him, he recalled an officer at the KCPD said that Joseph and Kidman left together. "Is he here?"

"Please, Sebastian, answer my question."

"We met," Sebastian said, shaking his head, his heart hammering too quick against his chest, he cleared his throat, "we met at the KCPD, years ago...he's my best friend."

Hoffman nodded. "Did you know that Ruben and Stefano were serial killers?"

"I just found out today," he told her, slumping his shoulders. "I didn't know...I didn't think they could be."

"Why?"

Sebastian sighed, he pressed his fingers against his forehead. "Ruben was too meticulous to be a mass murderer, the bodies we found were...destroyed...cut up. While Stefano, he was too friendly, in-your-face kind of friendly...but I should've known there was something different about them. I should've known."

Hoffman closed the folder. "It's too late to feel regret for not knowing that your friends were serial killers."

"It's too late to realize Kidman was going to betray me."

Hoffman stood, picking up the folder and the cup of coffee, she had an empty look in her eyes. "It's too late...everyone around you isn't who you thought they were. How does that make you feel?"

Sebastian matched her stare. "Determined to get to the truth, and I will."

She cracked a small smile before leaving the room, two guards grabbed him and took him back to the room. He was shoved inside and instead of being handcuffed, they locked the door. Stefano was already inside, sitting on the floor.

"Did they give you coffee?" he asked idly, fixing his jacket cuff.

Sebastian scowled. "Is that how they bribed you?"

Stefano sniffled. "They didn't need too, I told them exactly what they wanted to hear." He grinned, and Sebastian never thought he'd ever want to punch Stefano in the face as he did right now.

"I'm starting to see behind that facade you created."

Stefano stood, fixing his coat. "How about we try to escape."

Sebastian sighed, of course he'd end up helping a serial killer escape, but he needed too. His wife and his daughter were in the facility, and he also needed to find Joseph. Kidman had brought him here, wherever he was, and he needed to find out what they were doing with Ruben, and what they were going to do with them.


	8. Chapter 8

Sebastian glared at Stefano. "Don't fucking mess this up."

Stefano rolled his eyes. "When have I ever?"

"Do I really need to remind you what happened beneath Beacon?"

"That wasn't my fault."

Sebastian shook his head. Of all people he had to be stuck in a room with. "It might as well have been."

This was their only prime moment to get out of this situation, and he enjoyed one particular aspect about it.

Sebastian punched Stefano in the face, mostly in the nose and the man slammed into the door, fingers grasping his face while blood slid down his chin. His gaze darkened as they stayed on Sebastian who gave the man a smirk.

"I thought," he said, pushing away from the door, "we agreed that it wasn't going to be a _real_ punch."

"You have no idea," Sebastian walked over to him, grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him against the door again, Stefano let out a groan, "how long I wanted to do that."

"If I had my knife—"

"If you had your knife," Sebastian said, leaning close, "you wouldn't be able to leave a cut on me."

Stefano raised a brow, "You have so much faith in yourself."

"Faith at this point is all I have." Sebastian didn't bother warning the man when he punched him again, this time in the gut. It was maybe a few minutes of beating the shit out of Stefano that finally the guard decided to walk in.

Sebastian grasped Stefano's jacket, shoved him to the side before grasping the hand of the first guard that walked into the room. He twisted his wrist then pulled back his arm, punching the man in the face, his knuckles red from already punching Stefano a couple of times.

Stefano, who finally showed he wasn't entirely useless, jumped the second guard that was about to pull out a taser. He yanked him forward, licking at the blood slipping from his own nose, and slipping the taser from his fingertips only to place the taser to the man's side, pulling the trigger.

He walked over to the first guard and did the same.

Sebastian dropped the man as Stefano looked at the taser.

"If you so much as use that on me," Sebastian warned, grasping another taser from the first guard.

Stefano grinned, "Now why would I do that?"

Sebastian expected him to do it, but it would give him a reason to beat the ever loving shit out of him again. He enjoyed the pain of his knuckles that connected with the man's face, but it was only a scheme to get the guards to come see what was going on. Although, Stefano was right, he didn't have to punch him in the face, but Sebastian didn't want to miss the opportunity.

They left the room and looked down the white halls that were somehow brighter than the broom closet they were left in.

Sebastian had also snagged a keycard from one of the men. He knew the one that Ruvik had wouldn't be accessible in this facility, not when they captured him. It had to do with his STEM machine, whatever it was, he had to find out why it had anything to do with his family.

Myra and Lily were still missing, and he was worried about what happened to Joseph. The psychiatrist obviously didn't think she'd let it slip that he was here, but it didn't want to be tricked if he wasn't.

Kidman was in on this, the pain of her betrayal stung, but his knuckles throbbing let the pain sink lower, away from his worried thoughts.

Sebastian noticed Stefano was heading the other way.

"Where the fuck are you going?" he whispered.

Stefano pointed. "I'm not staying here."

"What about my family?"

Stefano rolled his eyes. "What about them? They aren't my family."

"You son of a bitch."

Stefano shrugged, a smile quirking at the corner of his lips. "Come now, Sebastian, you should've realized this wasn't about your family. I was only interested in what Ruben was creating."

Sebastian sighed. "When I get my hands on you—"

"Yeah, yeah," Stefano waved his hand and turning his back to him, "you'll smack me around again. I'll look forward to it."

Sebastian turned away and headed down the hallway, away from Stefano. He needed to focus on finding Myra, Lily and Joseph. He made sure to watch the halls and rooms he passed. He almost passed by a room before noticing something hanging on the wall. A white lab coat, glancing around, he took it off the hook and put his arms through.

He made sure the hall was empty when he walked out of the room. Sliding his fingers on a railing as a large window came into view, and he stopped. Brows pinched before his eyes grew wide.

Both Leslie and Ruben were lying in the strange looking bathtubs. Several MOBIUS agents stood watch. Sebastian's gaze swept over the room only to stop on Kidman standing to the side with a clipboard in her hand. She was talking to someone. Two agents appeared behind the machine, and Sebastian's fingers tightened on the railing when he noticed they were dragging an unconscious Joseph away. His clothes were wet and his head hung forward.

"Shit, what are they doing?"

He keeps his eyes on them as they walked through a door, and Sebastian takes out the keycard as he rushes toward the elevator. A few scientists walk out as he slides past them and presses the main floor button. Hoping he could intercept them and find his family, but he must make sure that Joseph was alright and learn what they had done to him.

Once the doors open, he grits his teeth at how many people were on the main floor. He spots a camera and keeps his head low as he walks by. He looks for Joseph, but where the two men had taken him, he didn't know. Instead of looking through his each room, he wanders through the hall, past the threshold of a door and into the next hall. There are more people on this side of the building.

He uses the keycard to get through a few rooms, and then he spots the two agents that had taken Joseph away from the bathtubs. He looks down at the floor as they walk by, and he glances over his shoulder at them.

He checks the doors as he passes, and comes to one that was actually locked. It's a infirmary room, glancing to the side, there's no one walking down the hall. He uses the keycard to get in and slips inside. He shuts the door and quickly moves through the room, he spots a cup of coffee sitting on the table, it's barely empty and possibly cold, but the scent covers the antiseptic he would possibly smell. Walking past dividers until he finds Joseph lying on the bed, his head to the side.

Sebastian places a hand on his forehead, he's running a fever of some kind, but he's breathing normally and doesn't seem to be any type of distress. "Joseph?"

He doesn't respond, which makes him worry.

"Come on, Joseph, what the hell is going on?"

He looks around the room and finds a clipboard on the side. He picks it up and reads the paper. It has most of Joseph's information, but there's a few notes at the bottom that states Joseph was a newly arrived patient for the STEM unit.

"Three days," Sebastian mutters, looking at Joseph. He shakes his head, a feeling of nausea overcomes him and Sebastian sits down on a chair. "How is it possible? You couldn't be in that machine for three whole days. We just got here."

The rest of the notes reads that Joseph's sense of self and mental sufficiency began to degrade after thirty-six hours since entering the STEM. He was suffering from major depression and anxiety, but since entering STEM, he exhibited suicidal ideation and succumbed to the quality inhibition and mental weight of the STEM CORE.

"This can't be real," he muttered, looking at Joseph, a guilt tightens in his mind. If this was happening to Joseph, what could possibly happen to his daughter and wife?

He gets up and looks for a computer. Unfortunately, when he found one, there was a password protection on it, and he didn't want to set off any alarms. Looking back at Joseph, he knows he has to leave him behind. He needs to know where his wife and daughter are.

"I'll be right back," he says, hand on the doorknob.

He hopes it's true, he hopes that he will be back for his best friend, and that maybe all of this will finally come to an end.


	9. Chapter 9

It took some time, but Sebastian managed to find more information on the STEM program. Mostly from computers that were already functioning, and the workers probably went to grab something to eat. Meaning he had minutes to look for some answers. What he found was limited, but he continued to locate more and more, mostly from folders lying inside a file room. Another several minutes, he finally found what he was looking for.

The STEM system was created by Ruben Victoriano, a previous employee of MOBIUS, but they had a falling out, and MOBIUS took ownership of Ruben's creation.

"At least I know why you created a prototype underneath Beacon," Sebastian muttered.

He found out that Ruben was a child prodigy by a file he found on him, including his ties to Dr. Jimenez, who was a mentor to Ruben as a child, and who had brought him into MOBIUS.

"Fucking bastard. He knew about MOBIUS as well."

STEM had a brain synchronization that only worked with Ruben.

"Safety precaution, always like you," Sebastian said, he knew Ruben wouldn't let anyone else use his machine without him. It was too valuable, according to what his intentions were while building it. Sebastian looked at an old grainy picture of a family, both parents faces were burned out, while the two younger children stared back.

The young girl had long black hair, a pale complexion, and was wearing a red dress with white on the collar. The boy had blonde short hair, pale skin that matched his sister's, and white eyes that made him look menacing. He didn't wear much of an expression in the portrait, but it was too obvious that this boy was Ruben before the fire that killed his family.

"What happened to her?" Sebastian whispered, he read more of the file, and when he came to his answer, he closed his eyes at the truth.

Laura Victoriano had died in a fire before his parent's deaths. She was burned inside a barn, while Ruben was the only survivor.

Sebastian looked at a photo that was below it, and it was the charred remains of Ruben's older sister.

"No wonder you wanted to built STEM," Sebastian said, "you wanted your sister back."

He didn't know the information would be this drastic, but Ruben's infamous distance towards him and Stefano now made sense. He didn't want to make any connections with people, not when he would enter STEM himself, and live out his life with a sister who had perished a long time ago.

He found more information about STEM. Mostly the CORE, the bath tubs were called Terminus, they were connected to the CORE that was in the center of the machine, and the CORE itself would contain the entirety of STEM. Apparently Ruben had modified it before MOBIUS took over, he made it wireless, a connection to others by transmitting a frequency and allowing the subjects to enter STEM without realizing it. Memories and perceptions are then melded together by the CORE itself, and controlled via the CORE.

The CORE must be of a mind that is not corrupted, a balance to keep the STEM stabilized.

"Ruben was the CORE before, but who is the CORE now?" Sebastian asked, closing the file and placing it back into the shelf.

His wife and daughter came to mind, the reason for their strange disappearances. And of Joseph's involvement. They had tested him, and the STEM degraded his mind, but why would it do that unless Ruben's influence had contaminated STEM itself, making the world within unstable.

"Why would they allow a serial killer into STEM?" Sebastian asked himself, peeking around the corner. Most of the halls were empty, but he was watching the cameras. He wouldn't be able to move around the facility, but he was making sure that he wouldn't be caught as quickly.

He grabbed a white lab coat and pulled it on. Hopefully in some way this can be a disguise. He wasn't sure, but he had no other plan besides finding his family and Joseph.

As he walked down the hall and was about to make a turn. Two MOBIUS agents appeared, and when they looked at him, recognition appeared in their eyes. They grabbed for their guns and pointed it at him.

"Shit," he muttered.

"Sebastian Castellanos, we've been looking for you," one of the men said, his lips twitching into a smile.

"Never thought we'd be able to find you," the other said, more relaxed than the other who was ready to start boasting.

"You know what," a voice came from behind them, "I was thinking the same thing. How unfortunate that _I_ was able to find _you_."

A taser went off and both men fell forward with a grunt. Stefano grinned, he was holding a small white Styrofoam cup with the distinct scent of coffee, and was reaching down for one of their guns, he pulled out the magazine and pushed it back in.

"Thought you were leaving."

"And not express my artistic devotion to these lovely people," Stefano said, appalled, touching the white walls, "I have so many lovely canvases—"

"Enough with the art bullshit," Sebastian said, leaning down to grab the other remaining gun.

Stefano arched a brow, looking offended. "I save your life and this is how you repay me?"

Sebastian walked by him, "I'm not thanking someone who murders models for a living."

"You make it sound like that's all I do. I open art galleries, and showcase my art."

Sebastian turned, and slammed Stefano into the wall, the man groaned, and his cup fell to the floor. "The same art that inspired you to kill those models, innocent woman."

"No one's ever innocent," Stefano remarked, low and rough besides his usual smooth tone that mistook many for kindness and charisma. He was a cunning man, able to hide in plain view, lie without a single thought that he was doing something wrong, or maybe he didn't think what he was doing was wrong. It always came back to his art, the only thing that seemed to matter to him.

"No games," Sebastian sneered.

A thin smile pulled taut on Stefano's face, "Agreed."

Sebastian let go of Stefano and watched as he fixed the wrinkle in his clothes. Sebastian turned, but his gaze went to the camera that was staring directly at him.

"Tell me you were looking for the machine," Sebastian said, walking the other way.

"I did," Stefano said, following behind. "Ruben and Leslie were moved out of the room, and your daughter was lying on a gurney beside—"

Sebastian turned quickly, his eyes wide and uncertain. "What do you mean my daughter is on a gurney, what were they doing to her?"

Stefano shrugged. "I don't know. There were a few scientists in the room, and she was lying on a gurney beside the center of Ruben's machine. There was a hatch open, but I couldn't see anything else, too caught up in getting away from security."

A hatch open to the center of STEM. He read about a CORE that needed to control the mental environments within the world of the machine, a stable mind, one that would not be corrupted, completely balancing everything out. Ruben's mind was already corrupted by the trauma of losing his older sister as a child, then losing his parents in a house fire that destroyed his estate a few years ago, and now, he experimented and murdered many subjects in Beacon, and outside of Beacon. He was too corrupted to become the CORE, and if they were going to use Leslie, he was too mentally ill to keep it stabilized, they needed someone who didn't see such corruption, who wasn't affected by it.

"Lily is the CORE," Sebastian said, mostly to himself.

"Makes sense to use a child, but why your child?" Stefano asked.

Myra had given him a box of information about MOBIUS, the STEM, and the CORE. She knew they were looking for one, and they decided on her daughter. Myra knew they were going to do this, to take Lily from her, and so she gave everything to Sebastian so he could figure out how to stop them.

"We have to do something, I can't let Lily be subjected to that machine, it already has Ruben's imprint on it, whatever was in his mind could be transferred to the world within, and if Lily is the CORE to that machine, she could see...the horrible things that bastard has done over the years."

"Well, let's not waste any time then, and save your daughter," Stefano said, sounding sarcastic.

Before they head down the hall, they heard the pounding of feet coming from that direction. Stefano ran to the other end, and groaned, annoyed as he looked back at Sebastian. "We're boxed in. They'll surely kill us now."

Sebastian shook his head. He had to find his wife and daughter, and save Joseph and Leslie, he had to do something. Except he had to save himself first, get away before MOBIUS eliminates him and Stefano for being potential enemies to their cause.

He shot the door handle of the only room they were close too and ran inside, Stefano closing it behind him.

"Now what, we're still trapped."

"This facility," Sebastian said, looking up at the ceiling, "should have vents we can crawl through."

"And that'll save us?" Stefano asked.

Sebastian didn't know if it would, he climbed onto a desk, reached for the ceiling and pushed the covering up until it wasn't sticking to the others, and pushed it away. "Come on," he told Stefano, grabbing a chair that was on the side and placing it on the desk. He climbed up and was able to pull himself into the ceiling.

Stefano climbed up after him. "You do know this might not hold us up, right?"

"We're on one side of the vent, meaning there's an opening for us to go through. If we can get to the upper floor, we can find a way out of this facility."

Stefano kicked the chair to the side as the door was slammed open. A sound of gunfire made both Sebastian and Stefano stop for only a moment before they both started crawling.

The ceiling creaked with their added weight, but Sebastian managed to find the opening duct. He pushed against it, but it wouldn't budge.

"Now what?" Stefano asked.

"Shut up," Sebastian said, touching the bolts on the side and twisted them off. It took ten minutes of focus until he was able to pry the vent open. He crawled through, and it was easier since the entire facility was structured to hold the vents above them, but also to make sure nothing could fracture it if there was a large cataclysm.

In each second that passed by as he looked for a way to escape the facility. He could not stop the guilt from clawing within him, shredding apart his dignity as he thought of his wife and daughter. And of Joseph who laid unconscious in a silent room, as if he were forgotten, his mind torn apart, and emotional disposition eradicated by a machine that was mean to reunite a lost sister.

He would return, and make things better, he would get them all away from this torment. That was his promise when he reached the outside, he breathed in the fresh air, and trudged his way toward a highway, while Stefano stumbled after him.

He would return for all of them.


	10. Chapter 10

"I don't believe you."

"Believe whatever you want, Sebastian, but I'm telling you the truth."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at Stefano who walked ahead of him.

They found a potential ride back into Krimson City who bought them both coffees for the road when Stefano had the idea that they could walk the rest of the way. Twenty minutes they barely spoke to each other, or even acknowledged one another. Sebastian held in all of his rage, until now, and he decided to ask Stefano questions that the man seemed to ignore and redirect.

"Seriously," Sebastian said.

Stefano glanced over his shoulder, a grin stretched across his face. "I am. Why can't you believe me?"

"You lied to me since the moment we met, why the hell would I believe a word you'd say?"

Stefano shrugged his shoulders. "Ruben also lied."

"You think my answer would be different toward him too?"

"You liked him more."

"I didn't like either of you," Sebastian corrected, "I simply tolerated the both of you."

Stefano chuckled. "Looks like we have a thing in common then. You're not in anyway artistic, Sebastian, nor are you creative. You're actually quite a boring _friend_ , and sometimes I ask myself why anyone would even want to be with you? Although I'm not surprised Myra wants you, she's quite boring too—"

"Say another word about my wife, and I'll shoot you, unless you forgot I have a gun on me."

"I also have a gun," Stefano said, pulling it out and waving it at him before placing it back into his coat. "I'm just saying it like it is. I'm simply surprised, is all."

"And I'm surprised people like your art," Sebastian commented.

Stefano's gaze grew dark, but he turned way to hide whatever angry expression was etched on his face. "And that's why I said you're not creative. Only creative people would understand my particular set of skills. Don't be insulted, Sebastian, I'm sure there are other things that you might be good at. From your age, you might have discarded any real talent for your lackluster job."

"Being a detective is not lackluster."

"To you maybe, but the thought of it makes me want to sleep."

Sebastian stopped on the dirt path, closed his eyes, and had to hold off the urge to kill Stefano and bury him in a ditch. It's at least what he deserves for his constant pestering. He didn't know that Stefano could be more annoying when he had no idea that he was a serial killer. The revelation seemed to have made his personality worse than what it was before.

"I was right," Sebastian said, glancing up at Stefano who had stopped several feet away, arching a brow at him, "I should've got you scanned for Narcissistic Personality Disorder."

"That's quite insulting," Stefano said, wrinkling his nose. "Would you say the same for Ruben?"

"He seems more like a psychopath, but maybe bordering on narcissism. I'm not sure yet."

Stefano rolled his eyes. "I do wonder if you should be looked over as well, you're bad habit have torn your mentality apart for years now."

"We've only known each other for a year."

"I can tell you have been degrading for longer since knowing you. Maybe you need some time off, get a massage, soak in a bath, sleep in for a few days."

Sebastian glared at Stefano who didn't bother hiding his condescending tone. "I'm not taking advice from a man who cuts off his model's heads and sticks flowers into them."

Stefano looked up, placing his hands together. "Ah, yes, thank you for reminding me of my recent work. It was splendid, a magnificent piece of glorious art. I would love to continue my work once you're off my trail."

He could barely believe that Stefano honestly thinks he's going to get away with what he did. And he's even confessing to doing it again, possibly numerous of times. He lasted this long, so did Ruben. If they aren't caught, it would be a waste, and he'd know he failed at his work if he let them get away.

"After this, you're going to jail, including Ruben."

Stefano tilted his head. "You believe that?"

"I wouldn't let you and Ruben walk off just because we were friends," Sebastian said, gritting his teeth, he still had the urge to take his gun out and shoot Stefano. Maybe then it would stop his growing headache that was throbbing on the side of his head.

Stefano sighed, and they continued their walk for another hour. Both not saying much to each other, and mostly enjoying their silence. They came upon a house by the border of the city. It was a large, stone building with vines crawling along the side of the house, it was not cared for by the overgrown grass and thick grime covering the windows.

"You live here?" Sebastian asked, a little surprised since Stefano had a way with decent pressed and overpriced clothes and was apparently narcissistic. It was the last place he'd look for Stefano, but since it was decrepit and empty looking, maybe it was a good fit for him. He didn't want to be obvious if he was on the run.

Stefano didn't go through the front, and was ignoring Sebastian. He checked the dust covered doorknob, it didn't budge, but when he pushed his weight against the door, it gave in.

"Come on in, detective," Stefano said, giving Sebastian a mocking grin.

Sebastian followed after him, he reached for his gun when he closed the door. It was dark inside the house, and a strong scent of mildew clung to the dry air that surrounded them. A coldness seemed to seep from the walls, but he was thinking maybe it was from the mold within its confines.

"This way," Stefano sang, before chuckling.

In the dark, he could tell now that Stefano was a serial killer. He seemed more like it when he was hidden in shadow. He had a charming lilt to his voice, as if it beckoned others with its smoothness, while his laugh was sardonic at the least. He was quite the psychopath, hiding in plain sight, acting the part. It still sent a bad taste in Sebastian's mouth that he had let Stefano into his home, near his daughter, the same goes with Ruben who had a lack luster presence and personality, who kept to himself, and held his secrets close in hand so no one could see what he truly was.

Stefano stood by a staircase down a long hallway, the floor was soft from a red carpet, and the walls were brown with old paintings hanging up, the eyes of the people inside of them were hollow and lost to time.

"What's down there?" Sebastian asked, eyeing Stefano suspiciously.

Stefano rolled his eyes at the familiar look. "The basement, what else?"

"Quit talking shit and tell me the truth."

"I did tell you the truth. You can stay up here if you want, I mean, admire the dark halls and empty rooms. Whatever makes you happy." Stefano walked down the steps into the basement of the house.

Sebastian reeled in his rage that teetered back and forth and followed after him. It grew colder in the basement, and the smell of mildew and stagnancy grew thick. Stefano, who obviously stayed in the house for an extended time, walked the halls with a proficient memory.

They entered a large room that was designed for Stefano's purpose's. Sebastian did not like what he was looking at. There were pictures hanging on the walls where a red light shown them more clearly. He strode toward them, his heart racing with the implication of how many people Stefano had taken and killed for his precious art.

"I can't believe I was friends with psychopaths," Sebastian says out loud, disbelief clinging to each word as the pictures were altogether gruesome from whatever sick creativity came from Stefano's mind.

Stefano chuckled lightly, he stood near a red leather couch and sat down. "We were convincing enough to fool you."

Sebastian frowned. How true that statement was, they were hidden behind lies they created for the public, for their work ethics, for friends that weren't truly their friends. A sharp pang in his chest couldn't rid the disbelief nor the simmering rage. "Did you know?" he asked, staring at Stefano and watching his expression become complacent at what he meant by the question.

"About Ruben?" The last time they both saw him was in front of his machine beneath Beacon Mental Hospital, and of course inside The MOBIUS Facility, being experimented on along with Leslie Withers. Ruben was the same as Stefano, except he wasn't as flamboyant, but intelligent that he knew he could get away with what he was doing. They both knew, and they fooled him for a year and several months. "No. But there was something peculiar about his upbringing. I didn't figure he was the serial killer ravaging the outskirts."

How could they? Ruben didn't act like he'd be into killing people, torturing them, pulling their skin apart, and mentally breaking most of them. He had used patients from Beacon, patients he spoke to himself, he studied, and ultimately, he decided to use for whatever sick experiments to conduct on his machine.

STEM.

He was friends with two distinct and different psychopaths that fooled him. Sebastian couldn't be more disappointed in himself. He was angry, and all he could feel was defeat at the hand of two of his...friends.


	11. Chapter 11

Sebastian sat in the darkness upstairs, he had nothing else but his thoughts to occupy him. Stefano didn't want to leave his designs in the basement. Sebastian wanted peace and quiet, and to think of how he was going to save Myra and Lily. He was thinking of going to the police and tell them what was happening. Except from what was going on, it all sounded unrealistic in his mind.

A renown detective serving the KCPD for years was friends with two psychopaths. Letting both wander around killing people, while sharing coffee breaks.

There were many signs that told him they were the serial killers ravaging Krimson City. The deaths were obviously linked to the both of them.

Beacon Mental patients were dead, cut up, and discarded when they served their purpose. Ruben worked at Beacon as a psychiatrist. He worked with those patients he mutilated. Except Leslie, who didn't mind staying in the same room as him. Ruben didn't say that he sedated him so he could test out his machine that was below the building.

Stefano was an _artist._ He asked Sebastian many times that he was getting ready for his art gallery that was going to open. He was hoping for Sebastian to admire his work. He did go with Joseph. And what he found was gruesome, disturbing art that consisted of body horror. Most of them were women, and Krimson's serial killer was targeting models.

Sebastian closed his eyes and leaned against the couch. He should've known, at least suspected that they were the killers. They were right in front of their face. The thought made him curl his fingers into the arm wrist. He kicked the wooden coffee table in front of him, the legs screeched on the floor and hit the adjacent couch.

"Still mulling over your regrets?" Stefano asked, walking into the room and slipping his red gloves over his hands.

"Shut the fuck up," Sebastian said, sitting forward and pressing his fingers to his temples.

Stefano kicked the coffee table forward and sat down across from him. He placed his leg over the other. Looking devious than he usually did as they sat in the dark. He smiled at Sebastian and his obvious incompetence.

"I wouldn't have thought you'd end up blinded by friendship, but then again, you're blinded by love." Stefano shrugged. "You didn't know Myra was looking into MOBIUS. Nor that the company has its fingers in everything, including your work placement. Although I don't pity you for not knowing, you ignored the obvious signs in front of you."

How many times was Stefano going to rub it in? From the looks of it, he wasn't going to let up any time soon.

"We have to figure out how to save Myra—" Stefano coughed, or faked coughed from the smirk he was giving him. "I mean, how _I'm_ going to figure out how to save Myra, Lily, Leslie, and Joseph."

Stefano pulled out a long knife from the inside of his jacket pocket. There were ridges along the sharp end, and he admired it. "I'm so glad that I'm not weighed down by personal relationships."

"And yet you aren't running from a detective whose dying to kill you," Sebastian said, glaring at Stefano.

"I'm not the one who ignored the obvious facts for frien—" Sebastian rose. He took two steps, reached down and grabbed the front of Stefano's lapel. The knife was close to his neck. His fingers had curled into a fist, ready to punch Stefano, and add more bruises to his face.

"Tact," Stefano commented. His gaze held nothing but contempt, and all his usual warmth was gone. "That's your problem, Sebastian. You rely on impulsive actions than thinking logically. It's the reason why you ignored what was right in front of your face."

He was right. He ignored them, and he didn't understand why he did. Was looking away from the obvious facts more comparable than seeing who they truly were.

Sebastian let go of Stefano and stepped back.

They glared at one another until a sound interrupted them. Stefano pushed himself up, gripping his knife. Sebastian walked to the door that lead to the hall where the side door was. A sound of a grunt made him go still. And someone on the other side shoved it open. Sebastian steadied his grip on his gun, ready to shoot anyone who walked through the door.

Except Stefano stepped closer to him, grabbing the barrel of the gun and pulling it down. Sebastian glared, feeling the urge to elbow Stefano in the face. Except Stefano's attention went to the figure in the dark.

"Theodore," Stefano said.

Sebastian's brows creased. Unsure of who this new person was until the figure stepped from the shadows. A tall man wearing a black suit, holding his hands in front of him. He had dark skin and a grim expression when looking at Stefano.

"Stefano," the man said.

"You have friends?" Sebastian asked, arching his brow at Stefano who gave him a narrowed glare.

"I wouldn't consider us friends," Theodore said before Stefano could. "More like business partners."

Sebastian's grip tightened. "You're a serial killer?"

Theodore smiled. "Far from that assumption, Detective Castellano's. I work for MOBIUS."

Stefano rolled his eyes, placing a hand on his hip. "Everyone we meet is a part of MOBIUS." He looked at Sebastian and smirked, "That truck driver we hitched a ride with was probably a part of MOBIUS too."

Sebastian ignored Stefano and looked at Theodore. "Why are you here? And how did you find us?"

"I've kept an eye out for many people in Krimson City. Formerly I was a motivational speaker, and during that time, I met Stefano at an auction." Sebastian didn't doubt that part. "And to my knowledge, and the knowledge of MOBIUS. We assumed what Stefano has been doing for the past several years."

"And you didn't arrest him?" Sebastian asked, his voice slightly raised.

Stefano continued to grin.

"We considered him a valuable yet expendable test subject," Theodore said. This truth seemed to drain away Stefano's smile. "He entered STEM once and when his mind corrupted the environment, he no longer served a purpose. MOBIOUS wanted to study his actions for the next year.

We managed to lose his trail, but he resurfaced in your presence, Detective."

Stefano snickered, while Sebastian shook his head in shame.

"How we found you, to be more exact, how I found _you_. Satellite from MOBIUS tracked your progress when you escaped the facility. But, most of them don't know you escaped, but I knew that you must've."

"What are you doing here if you work for MOBIUS and they don't know you know where we are?" Sebastian asked.

Theodore smiled, less malicious than Stefano's. "Myra is a friend of mine, including Juli Kidman. They hatched a plan to escape MOBIUS's grasp."

"How?" Sebastian asked.

Theodore smiled. "By destroying everything they worked for from the inside."

"Sounds like a lie," Stefano said, playing around with his knife.

"It's not," Theodore said, narrowing his gaze at him before falling back onto Sebastian. "I came here myself, but now I know you're here. I'll get into contact with our associate who is also part of this plan of ours. Her names is Torres."

Sebastian reached for his gun. "How do we know you're lying?"

"Now you're agreeing with me?" Stefano asked, smirking.

"Shut up, I'm being cautious."

"If only you were like that months ago."

Sebastian gritted his teeth. He had the urge to hit Stefano, except Theodore was shaking his head.

"I am not lying. Myra didn't want this for Lily. She wanted to do this quietly, but her plan went under when MOBIUS caught on with what she was doing. Trust me, Sebastian, I am not lying to you."

He didn't know what to do. He was afraid, not for himself, but for his wife and daughter. He trusted the wrong people too many times. And now here he was, unsure of who he was supposed to trust. He had to make a choice. One that was a thin strand ready to break, and he still had to hold onto the hope that he could save his family.

Sebastian dropped his hand from his gun. "Fine. Except if this is a trap—"

"It's not," Theodore said, cutting him off.

"—I'm killing Stefano," Sebastian continued.

Stefano's smile dropped, frowning at Sebastian. "All this time I thought we were bonding in our _on-the-run_ team up."

"Shut up."

Theodore turned, taking out a burner phone and dialed a number.

"He might call them," Stefano said. Swinging the knife in his hand and gripping the handle, pointing the knife toward Theodore's back.

"Some people aren't back stabbers like you are," Sebastian said. Sitting in the dust filled room, swallowed by darkness, with a monster who lies through his teeth.

Stefano sat across from him, grinning. "Come now, Sebastian. You're going to have to get over that."

"I keep on saying _shut up_ ," Sebastian glared, "and you never seem to listen."

Stefano rolled his eyes, waving the knife. "I never listen to you. Why should I start now?"

This is what he's condemned too. A man who has many pictures below this building. Monstrosities of stitched and torn bodies. A man who revels in screams and sarcasm.

If only he knew who his friends were. With the blood beneath their fingernails, and the emptiness in their bodies where their souls once inhabited.

He was friends with monsters.

And when he saves Myra and Lily, he'll lock those monsters away


	12. Chapter 12

After Theodore got a hold of Esmeralda Torres. They went to go meet her by dusk. The morning heat was began to stave off the roads, a sort of heat rising into the skies. Followed by the bland taste of iron and oil that were left behind by vehicles driving past. Theodore kept his mode of transportation away from the house Stefano used to hide his _art_. Sebastian was surprised that Stefano went with them, he didn't seem inclined to stay behind, not when he wanted to know what was going to happen.

A black jeep sat on the road near several parked abandoned cars, they were hidden amongst the trees and long branches that were lowered to the ground. From the grass growing around the tires, the cars have been there for sometime, including posts on the windows asking if anyone would like to buy them, including a contact number.

Theodore's vehicle was the only one without the post, and it was parked beside another car. Using it more as a cover. There were no cars driving down either direction as they climbed into his vehicle.

Sebastian in the passenger seat, a notable glare when Stefano had tried taking it instead. All he received from the man was his lips pulling taut into a sliver of a smile when he got into the back seat. Theodore started up the car, and they were along the road in seconds.

"Where are we meeting her?" Sebastian asked.

"I can't say," Theodore answered calmly. There was a strangeness about the man, he was placid, more in control than Stefano was when insulted or even pressured. Theodore didn't need to be coaxed, and he was not eager to use any sense of temper, if he held any inside his body. He knew exactly what he was doing and what he was saying. Whatever was on his mind, he knew how to play to whatever strings Sebastian held, including Stefano's.

This was not the type of man someone would like to stay in a room with. At least for not too long. He'd easily get into their head, mess around with their thoughts, make them doubt themselves. Sebastian had met many who were like that, but unlike Stefano who was ruled by his emotions and capabilities of his so-called profession. Theodore was the exact opposite.

He was a man not to be trifled with, and it irked Sebastian that he was sitting in the same vehicle as him. He was uncomfortable having Stefano behind him with a loaded gun, taser, and a large knife. He should lock him up somewhere until this entire mess is dealt with, and then return to him, a gun to his head, and handcuffs around his wrists to keep him secured. The man was a trickster, able to lie through his teeth, and swindle with simple words.

It worked too much on Sebastian before he found out Stefano had a habit of cutting up models and stitching them into tasteless objects he called decor.

"I need you to tell me something," Sebastian said, fingers curling in his lap. He still had the gun, and if he wanted too, he could threaten Theodore. Except his examination of the man after knowing him for a few minutes, he knew that a gun to the head would not make him talk. Torture wouldn't either, and it wasn't something Sebastian wanted to do, even though he had done it in the past.

Men like them don't talk when they know pain too well.

"What do you want to know?" Theodore asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

"You said you knew Myra, that she worked for MOBIUS. Do you know how long?"

Theodore tightened his hands on the steering wheel before relaxing. "I met her five years ago."

Sebastian furrowed his brows. "Is that when she joined MOBIUS?"

Theodore nodded. "Yes. She was a mysterious woman. She had secrets inside of her, it was quite obvious by her attitude. Professional, stern, and bold. When relaxed, a rare friend to find. Rarer that she was married and had a daughter."

"I didn't exactly enjoy her presence that much," Stefano interjected from the back seat, using his knife to pick either dirt or blood from under his fingernails.

Sebastian turned in his seat, glaring at Stefano who smirked at him. "You knew she was part of MOBIUS?"

"Of course I did. I was also part of MOBIUS."

"As an applicant for STEM," Theodore reminded, amusement laced in his words that almost sounded mocking, which Stefano noted by his own glare pointed at the man.

"You told me you didn't know much about MOBIUS."

"I don't," Stefano answered, focused on picking the grime from his nails, he spun the blade in his hand right before they passed over a bump that almost made Stefano topple to his side. "Like what Theodore has mentioned," Stefano said, straightening in his seat, "I was only an applicant to MOBIUS. Meaning, I was in their facility, but not the one we were trapped in earlier. A normal building where they were recruiting people."

"He passed the psychological testing that Hoffman conducted on him to verify if he had any mental instability. For example, psychopathy or even sociopathy," Theodore said, which in turn made Sebastian arch a brow, and Stefano grin with amusement.

"You passed?"

"Surprised?"

"You kill and cut up models for a living. Why wouldn't I be surprised?"

Stefano stared at his nails as he said, "You've been judging me since you found out about this entire mess. I figured you'd stop...and now you have proof."

"He may have passed the test," Theodore cut in again, "but it doesn't mean he's not a psychopathic killer. Most lie their way through these tests. Pretend their normal—"

"That's rude," Stefano muttered, tucking his knife into his coat.

"But true," Theodore continued. "He deceived Hoffman, and found his way into STEM. Damaging the machine from the inside. It was only right for MOBIUS to take him out of it before he made it worse."

"And then they lost him," Sebastian finished, sitting back into his seat. "They should've killed him when they had the chance."

"Yeah, this doesn't hurt my feelings," Stefano said. His tone didn't say much besides that he didn't care about their opinion of him. Sebastian knew that all he did care about was that if someone were to threaten or even insult his work, that's when Stefano's ego would grow big enough to burst. He was chaotic, a time bomb ready to go off. He didn't know if that was a good thing on their side, or if Stefano truly did deserve a bullet in the head before he finds a way to save his family, including Leslie and Joseph.

He didn't need a liability on their side.

They drove for the next hour, the three of them barely said a word to each other. Sebastian was wracked with guilt and worry. He had to get back to his family, and save them from whatever fate MOBIUS had in store for them. Including what they'd do to Myra for her mutiny.

Theodore turned down a dirt road and came upon an old barn. The sun had already set, and covered the entire plains into darkness. What interested Sebastian about this rendez-vous is a woman standing near a black jeep, she was leaned against her. Tall, with dark hair, muscular, and wore a serious yet friendly expression.

"Is that Torres?" Sebastian asked once Theodore came to a stop.

"Yes," Theodore said, "she's a lovely woman. Not as threatening at first glance, but if you threaten her…"

Sebastian nodded, noting the silent warning. "I get it. Don't threaten her or she'll kick my ass."

"I'm not threatened," Stefano said, opening the door.

"Go right ahead and get your ass kicked," Sebastian encouraged, stepping onto the dirt road, "at least I'll have a break of doing it myself."

Torres pushed herself away from the jeep and walked over to them. Sebastian noticed the gun sitting against the vehicle. Except his eyes went back to her, and her wide friendly smile that seemed to calm his nerves.

"I finally get to meet, Sebastian Castellanos." She reached her hand out, and Sebastian took it. "Myra didn't speak much of you, but I understand why."

"It's nice to meet you," Sebastian said, managing a smile.

Torres expression grew uneasy when Stefano walked over to them. His grin stayed on his face, and he was less fixated on her but the barn itself.

"Why pick this tasteless place?" he asked.

"For a tasteless man with no artistic skill," Torres responded, and she didn't shy away from his sharp glare, "I dug a six foot grave. Would you like to step in it? If not, shut up, this isn't about you, Stefano."

He wrinkled his nose, and Theodore gestured for him to take a walk. Once they were out of sight, Torres relaxed and smiled again at Sebastian.

He didn't bother sugarcoating why they were both there. Dire times waited for no one. "I've heard you know how to get me back into MOBIUS so I can save my wife and daughter."

Torres nodded. "I do. But we're short one," she looked past Sebastian, "and right on time, she's here."

He followed her gaze to a black sleek car coming to a slow stop beside Theodore's vehicle. The bright lights went out, and to his surprise and caution, Kidman stepped from the car with a tray of coffee in her hands. Her gaze was cold, a look that never truly changed during her time at the police department. He guessed he knows why she's like this. Employed as an agent to MOBIUS does a lot to someone emotionally.

She walked over to them, the corner of her lips pulled at the sight of Torres, but her eyes stayed cold when she looked at Sebastian. Torres took one of the coffee's from the tray, and when Kidman turned to Sebastian, he didn't raise his own to grab one of the two that were left.

"Like my wife, you knew this entire time what they were planning for my daughter?" Sebastian asked.

Kidman was still for a moment before nodding. "I do."

He kept his gaze steady on her, and said, "Please, Kidman, no lies this time, no games."

She smiled, "I'm here to help you, Sebastian. To help Myra and Lily."

He didn't know if he could trust her, but he had no other choice. He spent time with serial killers, a wife that wasn't truthful, and friends who were unlike anything he could ever imagine in his grey world that was now painted red and black.

He picked up the cup of coffee from the tray and said, "What do you have in mind?"


	13. Chapter 13

Sebastian sipped the cup of coffee inside the barn, watching Kidman light a candle on a wooden crate. She looked at him, a small smile pulled at the corner of her lips. She was always a mystery. One that was close to him and Joseph. Her words played in his head as the most level headed one, the practical detective willing to follow orders. And now he found out why that was. She worked for MOBIUS. For how long? He'll never know, and maybe he didn't want to know.

Torres broke his thoughts when she stepped into view, placing her cup down by the lit candle. "Theodore is watching over Stefano." She arched a brow at Sebastian. "I'm curious why he came here when he knew this was only inevitable for his arrest."

"Maybe he thinks he can get away," Sebastian said, walking toward the two women. "He's been confident since he outed himself."

"Does that frustrate you?" Kidman asked, crossing her arms.

"No," Sebastian says, setting his own cup down beside Torres. "He can stay confident all he wants, but I'll have him behind bars once I have my wife and daughter back."

"Including Ruben?" Kidman asked.

Sebastian furrowed his brows and said, "Including Ruben."

"I heard about your predicament," Torres said, giving him an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry you've been...betrayed by your friends."

"Except, Joseph," Sebastian added, curling his fingers.

"He's still at MOBIUS," Kidman said, hoping to reassure him.

Sebastian shook his head. "We both don't know if he's alive."

"He's been in STEM," Torres told him.

He knew that Joseph was in the machine that Ruben had created, but at what cost? The last time he saw him, the medical report had told him that Joseph was suffering severe mental illnesses and degradation from being inside STEM. Three entire days when they spent hours inside the facility itself.

"The machine…" Sebastian began, sucking in a breath, "messes with time, right?"

"It has its own reality inside the environment," Torres explained, "like a dream can last hours, but you've only been dreaming for several minutes. The mind is a powerful tool, controllable and uncontrollable. It can break, of course, and it can also repair itself. The STEM is a brilliant invention, if used correctly."

"Ruben is the sole creator of it. What was he going to use it for? I've been...friends with him for some time, and he never exhibited _world dominating_ symptoms, or even psychopathic tendencies."

"His sister died," Kidman answered, straightforward. "You know that, right?"

Sebastian nodded. He recalled that was how he met Ruben. Burns upon his skin when his Estate was destroyed, and his parents perished inside. He mumbled for awhile about his sister when the scarring healed itself while he sat either in his bedroom or the lounge. He had gone through a terrible ordeal.

"His sister didn't die in that fire," Sebastian said, contemplating the flame licking the air around it.

Torres nodded. "She didn't, but she did die in the fire when they were children." Sebastian looked at her, and heard the faint screams of his daughter inside a house fire when she was six years old. He had gone in, ran up the stairs to his daughter's bedroom where she sat in the corner, screaming with wide open eyes. No one knew how the fire began, but it didn't matter, his daughter was safe in his arms. "She saved his life at the cost of her own."

He didn't know. He never spoken to Ruben about his personal life, not like he ever cared. Nor did Ruben ever care to supply his home life, and lack of family. All he did know was that Ruben went back to working at Beacon Mental Hospital when he healed, although he made sure to hide some of his scarring so he wouldn't scare any of the patients. After awhile, his personal patient, Leslie Withers, grew used to it.

Sebastian should have asked about his relationship with Leslie, but it never came up. There was no suspicion between them. Not until he learned Ruben was drugging Leslie and using him as a test subject for his machine. Leslie might have known something was happening to him by the written notes he found in his bedroom.

"What does this have to do with my family?"

"It doesn't," Kidman said, her stern face held nothing, no secrets within her eyes, nor her firm lips that stayed closed, and when she spoke, she still didn't reveal much. She was a hidden anomaly, and he only came to realize that maybe all those times in the office with Joseph, maybe they weren't exactly her friends, and she was only a monitor for him.

Myra knew that, and she said nothing.

"When Ruben lost his sister, Laura Victoriano, in the fire," Torres said, diverting his gaze from Kidman to her, "he created STEM in hopes of reuniting with her. It was his own way of finding solace from losing his older sister. The fire and her death had caused mental problems for him, and he lost control of himself. He exhibited psychopathic tendencies, but unlike Stefano who is a lot more open. Ruben is closed off. He's a lot more intellectual besides the obvious murders upon Beacon patients."

"And MOBIUS let him do this?"

"For their own purposes," Kidman answered. "I'm sure Ruben knew this and it was only a limited time until they found out he had placed a brain wave frequency that matches with his own upon the prototype. It can only work with his type of frequency, or a frequency that is free of inhibitions."

"A child," said Torres, a dismayed frown on her lips.

"MOBIUS ordered his return to the facility, it was the reason why we came to his research laboratory beneath Beacon. I didn't expect to find you or Stefano in that room," Kidman said, she didn't look in any less apologetic about that. She was a soldier, that's what he could see right in front of him. Not the junior detective he hoped for, but a young woman who followed orders from people a lot higher than his own station. She knew the rules, she played the rules, and now it seems, she was about to break them.

"My daughter," Sebastian said, running a hand along his nape. "That's why they took her, and Myra was okay with this?" he asked, the edge in his voice grew at the ridiculous notion that Myra would allow this to happen to Lily. She was only a girl, so young, and now they were conducting research upon her, and placing her inside STEM as a worthy candidate as the CORE.

Sebastian glanced to the closed door to the barn where he recalled Stefano telling him that they had Lily on a gurney near the machine. She was unconscious. This was after they had taken Leslie and Ruben from the room. Joseph had suffered from that machine, and he had no idea what was happening to his wife.

Torres shook her head. "She's been working for MOBIUS in secret for sometime, but she hasn't made her move until they asked for Lily. She couldn't disobey their orders and brought her in a few days after. I'm sure she was getting everything ready for you during that time."

"And she would justify this monstrosity?" Sebastian scoffed. She knew about Ruben and Stefano. That's why she didn't want them in the house, nor around Lily. Why would she let this happen for so long?

"No," Torres said, shaking her head, "she didn't have a window until Lily was taken. There was too many holes in _the plan_ when it came to fruition. Not until she was inside MOBIUS, and she had allies that could help her. Including you, Sebastian. She needs all of us to work together, because STEM will kill a lot of people, and if the Administrator has his full hands on its capabilities, we'll not only have the _world domination_ you suspected upon Ruben, but it'll be controlled by MOBIUS. We can't allow this to go on."

He heard her pleading, and it came back to him when the dire situation was placed upon them in a matter of hours since he was taken to that facility. Since his friends betrayal, and the confusion about his wife's intention of this massive organization that took his daughter. He was always going to be the wildcard. His wife hoped that it would come to this, and now he'll have to make sure her plan worked out.

A noise erupted the tension between them. Sebastian and Torres looked toward Kidman who took out a phone from her pocket. She answered it, her brows pinched, before she hung up and said with a serious yet frightened tone.

"They're taking Lily and Joseph from the facility and moving them to another."


	14. Chapter 14

It was intricate. At least that's how Sebastian thought of it when Kidman explained the layout of the new facility MOBIUS was taking his daughter and Joseph. They sat in her silver car on a lone road in the middle of nowhere. She took out the battery of her phone and tucked it inside her car slot. Pulling up a new device that she was able to connect with via a small flash drive. Sticking it into the side, Sebastian had watched her until she shown him MOBIUS's new place.

"This is where they are?" he asked, staring at the thin layout of each room that slid by with the touch of his finger upon the screen.

"Yes," Kidman said, passing him a gun.

He looked at it and took it from her hand. Torres was in the back seat, drinking the rest of her coffee. She informed him that Theodore will take care of Stefano. They couldn't have distractions while enacting The Plan. He was a little worried since Stefano was nothing more than a snake slithering through the hands of whoever held him. In some way, this wasn't going to end well.

"How do we do this?" he asked her.

"I go in first," Kidman said dryly, pulling her seatbelt over her chest and clicking it into place. She grabbed hold of the steering wheel and started the car. She was always like this, and he thought maybe he would see a change in demeanor. Except whatever mask he was expecting to slip wasn't there. She was the same old Kidman who was stoic, determined, and quietly hiding her motives. Except now, he didn't feel like she was against him, nor even monitoring him. She was here to help, and he needed those dull personality traits and excessive amount of skill to retrieve his wife, his daughter, Joseph, and Leslie Withers.

He still had an issue with Ruben Victoriano, but like Stefano, he was hoping to arrest him for the mass murders he had conducted over the years. Shame and regret washed over him by the reminders.

They were his _friends_. Or at least friends he could have at this age in his life. How could he miss the signs so blatantly in front of his face. Maybe they were that good, they manipulated his emotions like any kind of psychopath would. They knew when to change the subject or keep it on point but also deterring them away from the evidence. They stood in the center and managed to show Sebastian the blood and gore instead of what was on their hands, and what else stained their clothes.

Stefano smiled and mocked him for his incompetence. And he let the asshole near his daughter and his wife. He let him know him. He tolerated the man who showed off his murders in a gallery for everyone to look in awe of. What a delusional goal that ended up working in his favor.

And Ruben, he known him longer than Stefano. The man with a burned face and a lack luster voice that sometimes echoed sarcasm. He was determined as Stefano, but he seemed more inclined of work than of murders. That was the whole scheme, he kept Sebastian staring at something else while Ruben experimented on his own patient. The machine beneath Beacon was intricately designed, and looked like it took years to build. Another sign that Ruben was as good as Stefano at keeping him busy from realizing what was behind the smoke and mirrors.

And the last. Sebastian glanced at Kidman who kept her violet eyes upon the road, and he stared out his own window. A sharp pain in his chest exhausted him of all he had learned, all he had gone through. The secrets twisted inside of him and simmered the rage that was building up since he first learned that even his own wife was lying to him.

Sebastian tried to accept it that this was happening, but all he could think about was his daughter. He had to find Lily and get her away from these people. Ruben's machine had affected Joseph, and if Lily is placed inside the machine, he was afraid that it would hurt her in some way. Emotionally. Psychologically. He didn't want her to get hurt.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Sebastian asked.

"No," Kidman replied instantly, which made Sebastian glance at her, shock running through his veins before he shook his head at her. "I'm sorry, Sebastian, but I have orders, and those orders were not to interfere with your ignorance."

"You were only meant to watch me," he said, almost bitterly.

"You are one of the best detectives in Krimson," Kidman said, the corner of her lips tilted up, "maybe MOBIUS was afraid you'd eventually find out."

"Took me a long time."

"I think you're right on time," Torres commented in the back seat. "If you hadn't figured it out sooner or later, Lily could be in terrible danger, same for Myra."

"Except I didn't really find out," Sebastian said, running a hand through his hair, "Myra gave me the clues, and it made me look into it more. Stefano was happy to inform me that he and Ruben weren't really my friends."

"I think he did show he was friends with you," Kidman said, grimacing, "in his own way."

"By betraying me?"

"He hadn't killed you yet," Torres said.

Sebastian nodded, not finding that reassuring. "Reassuring," he replied, "maybe he wanted too at some point."

"Even with their psychological dispositions," Kidman said, glancing at him, "they did enjoy your company. Both of them. They spent a long time keeping their secret from you."

Sebastian scoffed. "Did you forget already, Kidman? I was a detective, of course they hid what they were doing. They didn't want to go to jail, and I'm sure they didn't want the dissatisfaction of their only friend to arrest them."

"Was?" Kidman asked.

Sebastian nodded. He was disappointed with himself that he didn't know that his own friends were murders. And he kept repeating this to himself, because he can't believe that he didn't know. That a simple look into their backgrounds could easily have told him the truth, but he was too blinded by what they had that he couldn't accept it.

"I don't think I'm fit to be a Krimson's detective."

"I think you're being hard on yourself," Kidman told him.

"I'm being realistic," Sebastian said, ignoring the clipped tone in his voice, "if I couldn't figure out what Ruben, Stefano, and my own wife was doing behind my back, including _you_. Then what kind of detective am I?" he asked, curling his fingers into tight fists. "It was right in front of my face and I couldn't see it." He let the anger roll off of him, and leaned against the door, staring out at the darkness.

"I know this might not make you feel better," Torres said, her voice quiet, "but Myra worked for MOBIUS to keep you and Lily out of it."

"And look what happened," Sebastian said, somberly, "they took my wife _and_ my daughter."

"Feel sorry all you want," Kidman said, annoyed, "but believe it or not, but you were meant to be a participate in UNION."

"UNION?" he looked at her, "what is that?"

"It's a town they simulated inside STEM. Unlike Ruben's original plan to create a world made of memories, MOBIUS created UNION to keep the inhabitants, or in other words, participates, calm in a natural environment," Torres explained.

Sebastian sneered. "No wonder Ruben went rogue. They fucked his plan up."

"And they managed to fuck him over," Kidman said.

Looks like he wasn't the only one he was trying to manipulate, but Ruben was also trying to keep MOBIUS off his trail as long as he could. He knew they knew where he was, but Jimenez only made it worse when the man hovered around him. From the way the man seemed to express himself, he must've said something that told Ruben he didn't have enough time with the machine he built.

"I was a participate?" Sebastian asked.

Kidman nodded. "Myra told me. They were going to bring you in without you realizing what was happening. STEM lets off a sound from a long distance away, and you could've easily entered STEM without one of the terminals. They were going to transport you there, and watch how you are inside STEM."

"We could be in it right now," Sebastian figured.

"We're not," Torres reassured, "they haven't implemented the wireless connection between the participates."

"That's why you weren't brought in," Kidman continued, making a turn down a dirt road, "Myra pulled strings. She's actually one of the hire ups and has a bit of control amongst the agents."

"Including yourselves?" Sebastian asked. Kidman nodded, and he glanced back to see Torres also nodding in agreement.

"When I first joined," Kidman whispered, "I was a troubled kid. Living a troubled life. They found me and gave me a choice, and I chose them. I got everything I wanted, but it took a long time to get out of their brainwashing. Myra helped clear my mind, my objectives, she found my morals, and led me down the right path." She looked at him, "Stay mad at her all you want, Sebastian, but she saved my life, she saved yours. Her plan might have fallen apart, but some of it still stands, and we can make it right."

Faith. It was clear inside Kidman's eyes, and all these years keeping Myra's secrets, and watching over him for MOBIUS, and for Myra. Kidman was more true in the words she spoke then the lies she told him all these years undercover.

"You're right," he said, finally, looking upon the trees and a light ahead of them. All that mattered was finding his wife, his daughter, Joseph, Leslie, and Ruben. They were going to save them, get them all away from MOBIUS, and take this organization down at the same time.

For its truth that forced his friends and family to keep from him.

* * *

 **Notes:** One more chapter left btw. :D

Reviews are appreciative. No flames or bashing please.


	15. Chapter 15

Kidman passes him a small rubber device. "I'll direct you through while I'm inside." They stood on the rough dirt road beyond a group of trees in the dark. The lights of the facility were dim at best, and even if they did glance their way, they wouldn't see them. It would be like a movement of shadow escaping their eyes.

"No one will suspect you?" he asked her, placing the device into his ear. A spike of sound as Kidman's monotonous voice cleared inside his head.

"No," she answered.

He smiled, knowing Kidman may never shed that cold fish exterior. It was her shield as MOBIUS's agent so none of them could see past her walls of where her true intent lies. The one who could get past the gates with a pretty smile, but holding a gun and not blinking when she fired it. That was how lethal Sebastian came to know Kidman when her betrayal was exposed. However, she had morals, knew where she stood and where she was going. A good trait.

Torres was scouting the area, making sure that they can get in. She was gone for almost fifteen minutes before she appeared once more in the darkness. Her form becoming solid as she stood beside them with her machine gun.

"We're clear, the opening is still there. I'll lead Sebastian and he'll enter five minutes after you do," she said, looking to Kidman who gave her a confirmed nod.

"Alright," Kidman grinned, "let's make this worth wild."

Sebastian wished her luck and the three separated, he followed Torres past the trees, careful not to make a sound and annoyed when he does. Torres never said anything, she continues leading until finally they're standing on one side of the facility. Torres kneels down and pulls the fence up and Sebastian can see that a part of the fence have been cut, but enough to hide it if questioned.

"Come on, old man," Torres said, grinning in the dark.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and crawled underneath to the other side. He grips the metal links and pulls it so Torres can crawl under as well. He settles it back into the dirt before they both get to their feet.

Torres leads the way from the spotlights toward a junction. She tests the sides and pulls the metal grate free. "I have to move the car before any patrols sees it, but I'll be in right after."

Sebastian nodded and he crawled into the dark vent and looked back when Torres closed the hatch. He touched the comm in his ear and started to crawl deeper into the vent until he came upon three different ways. One went down, the other two went left and right.

"Kidman," he whispered, touching the side of the comm.

"Yeah," she replied a moment after.

"I'm not sure where I'm supposed to go. Down, left or right."

"Right. It'll take you along another vent, and then go left, and continue going until you make it to a hatch. It's open and leads you into a lone office room. Nobody is inside it, and the door will be unlocked the moment you set foot within."

"Alright," Sebastian told her, and he was on his way, following her instructions through the vents until finally he came upon the hatch. He pressed his hands against his, fingers going through, and pushed. The metal screeched, and he stopped momentarily, his heart hammered until he finally pushed and the hatch came free. He slid into the room and pressed his fingers against it to secured it shut. Once it was done, he turned around and like what Kidman said. It was a lone office room. Small for barely five people with one desk sitting at the end against the wall with a computer on top, several books sat on a shelf, and metal filing cabinet was next to it. There was no windows besides a painted white and blue wall.

"This is sad," he muttered, stepping toward the door and he heard a click on the other side. He glanced to his left where he spotted a white coat hanging on a coat hook. He reached for it and pulled it on. "I'm in," he told Kidman as he tested the door and pushed it open several centimeters.

"I know." She said, amused. "I can see you peeking between the door. There's no one in the hall, Sebastian, you can come out."

He looked for the camera and spotted it sitting in the corner at the end of the hallway. He stepped from the room and once the door closed. The click sounded, and a red light came from a box next to the door.

"No one should know that room was occupied," she said, clearing up why it was locked.

Sebastian nodded, looking around the white pristine hall. It was all so nauseating, like a hospital. All of the grit was there, hiding beyond the paint and cleaning products that made the floors white and shining. As if there wasn't anything to fear from this place, but it was all a horror show when the truth was revealed. "Okay. Where is my wife and daughter?"

"From what I can see," she said, and Sebastian heard typing on her end, "they're separated."

"Separated?" he asked, tense. "What do you mean?"

"Myra isn't in the STEM room, but your daughter is, she's still hooked to the machine—"

"What?" he asked, glancing either way before his eyes found directions to which hall lead to where. He followed the one that had the words STEM written in large letters beside the door with the arrow pointing right.

"From what I can find out, she's been in STEM since she was hooked up to the machine," Kidman said. She may have a dead voice, sometimes annoyed and technical, but he heard the faint stir of shock and clipped anger.

Sebastian wasn't surprised that Lily was still in STEM. He didn't understand at first why he wasn't as he strolled down the hallway, watching each corner and the doors that lead into empty rooms. Since everything that happened, the serial killers turning out to be his friends, his wife lying to him about her true objective and the job she worked at to keep her family out of it, only for her boss to take their daughter. He was all out of being surprised, what he felt was more akin to rage and fear.

"Sebastian, stop" Kidman advised, "a MOBIUS soldier is coming down the left hallway."

Sebastian pressed against the wall, closing in on the corner. "Is anyone with them?"

"No. But be careful, they're trained to take on—"

"Kidman, you know me."

She sighed. "I do."

Sebastian listened, waited, and the second the soldier came into view. He reached for their arm before they could react, he elbowed them hard into the side of the face. Once they were left off balanced, and a cup of coffee fell from their hand, spraying onto the floor, Sebastian reached for the gun at their side and pulled it free from their holster. He raised the gun, flicking off the safety and pointing it into the face of a bald man with glasses set on his nose.

He blinked several times at the barrel in his face, and groaned. "That hurt. I'm not qualified for this, so I suggest you don't kill me."

"Who are you?" Sebastian demanded.

"O'Neal, Liam O'Neal," he responded, wrinkling his nose and glancing at Sebastian's attire before meeting his eyes. "You don't work here, do you?"

"What makes you think that?" Sebastian asked, indicating the gun and the man turned toward the wall with his hands up.

"You're wearing terrible clothes that looks like you slept in for several days, you haven't taken a shower, I never seen you before, and you don't have a name tag to indicate who you are," Liam replied, dryly.

"A name tag?" he asked.

"ID," Kidman told him.

Sebastian nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense." There was something else he came to MOBIUS for, not only to rescue his wife and daughter, and Leslie, but Joseph as well. He pressed the gun against Liam's nape and spoke in a low tense tone, "Do you know where Joseph Oda is?"

"Joseph Oda?" Liam asked, his voice shuddering. "I-I don't know who that is."

"Don't bullshit me," Sebastian said, pressing the gun into Liam's shoulder. "He's a detective who was brought here and later hooked up to that machine, STEM."

"I might have heard something," Liam said, nervous of the gun against him. "He was put into a room...and later examined, but I'm not sure where he is now."

It wasn't enough to find him, nor Myra. Or even Ruben, if he was still here. He needed to grab him as well in case MOBIUS wanted to try and create STEM, or if they needed Ruben for some grander scheme. Which Sebastian couldn't have. Doing something like this was extremely delicate, and he had to be careful.

Sebastian didn't feel an ounce of regret when he kicked Liam in the back of the leg, shoving him to his knees. A groan left his mouth, but Sebastian had slammed the side of the gun against Liam's face, earning a more agonized sound.

"Where is Joseph Oda?"

"Like I said," he spat, brows pinched, "I don't know. All I heard from that department was that they were looking over patients that came from STEM, but I'm not a part of that sector. I'm an engineer in case STEM ever needed repairs."

"Repairs?" Sebastian asked, slamming the gun once more against Liam's face, and this time he succeeded knocking him out. He pressed a finger against the comm in his ear as he stormed down the hallway. "You heard that, right?"

"Yes," Kidman replied.

Sebastian eased the double doors open and glanced around the hallways but found them empty. "Where's the MOBIUS agents?" he asked.

"Most aren't on that floor," Kidman said, the tapping of her keyboard was soft ambiance in Sebastian's ear, "a few are near the STEM room, so you might have to be quick when grabbing Lily. I'll keep the doors locked during that time."

"And you got an escape plan for us?" he asked, mildly. Trying his best to keep his mind steady, but all he could truly think of was his family, and the ones he needed to rescue on the way.

"I do," she said.

Sebastian frowned. "And you're not going to tell me?"

"Torres will provide the exit, I'll make sure no one follows you out."

Always the confident one, never wavering. Who was she before MOBIUS? Or was she always like this. Kidman never told him about her past, and he never pushed, but whatever it was must've carved the path she now walks. He didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

"I found him," Kidman said, triumph spiked in her voice.

"Where?" Sebastian asked, coming to a quick stop at a corner and looking down the hall. He knows that no one is on the floor he's currently on, but he's still suspicious. There's a lot of things that could go wrong.

"He's in a examination lab, by himself, I think they're trying to conduct—"

"What room, Kidman?" Sebastian asked, impatient.

"Right," she said, "sorry. Room twenty-four, I just unlocked it. There's no one inside, but they left some equipment running."

Sebastian rushed down the hallway, counting the numbers labeled in black on the doors until he came to the end where the hall veered to the right. He stopped in front of door number twenty-four, and grasped the knob. The keypad on the side was already blinking green, and he pushed the door open.

There was only one dull light on by the white desk in the corner, while several equipment hummed and were settled on the side, and the white terminal sat in the center, hooked up to it was Joseph.

Sebastian closed the door and stepped toward him, hands on the sides of the terminal. He stared down at Joseph, fear rippling through him. "He's alive?" he asked, mostly to himself. He glanced at the screen above him and there was a heart monitor that told him Joseph was stable. "Last time I seen him, I couldn't wake him...the reports said that he was in STEM for three days."

"STEM does function in a dominion like stasis that manipulates the mind, in other words, a dream sequence. Days can go by in several hours, or even minutes within its design," Kidman said, sullen.

While she spoke, Sebastian turned off the terminal and yanked on a lever. The terminal lifted, and Joseph breathed heavily as he slid onto the floor. The white substance surrounded him as Sebastian grasped his arm and pulled him up.

"Are you alright, Joseph?"

"I...don't know," he murmured, placing a hand against the side of his face, fingers touching the edges of his glasses. "Where are we? What's going on?"

Sebastian frowned. "We're in a MOBIUS facility. Joseph, do you remember being inside STEM?"

"STEM?" Joseph muttered, glancing up, his eyes glazed over. "I don't...remember anything besides how horrible it was in there."

"Possible connection to Ruben's influence," Kidman said within Sebastian's ear. "Ask him if he seen Leslie?"

"Why?" Sebastian asked, glancing over his shoulder, but knowing she wasn't there. "Is Leslie...hooked up to that thing as well?"

"From the reports I hacked into, Leslie is not considered a CORE subject, but from some old files that were possibly taken from Ruben when he was extracted." Sebastian knew she was the one who secured Ruben and brought him back to MOBIUS when he was out of their control. Did she regret that decision? "Leslie is a _potential candidate_. I'm not entirely sure what that means."

Sebastian shook his head, lifting Joseph to his feet. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I think so," Joseph replied, but Sebastian wasn't entirely convinced. However, he couldn't think about that. There were more pressing matters to attend too now that he found Joseph.

They left the room and Sebastian managed to fill in everything Joseph missed in the last two days.

"It feels like I was sleeping forever," Joseph said, leaning against the wall. "And did you just say...Kidman? Didn't she betray us?"

"She did," Kidman replied, a smug tone in her voice.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "She's helping as much as she can. She's the reason I managed to get back into MOBIUS without anyone finding out."

Joseph hummed, he still had a hand placed on the side of his head. "Is she going to tell us where your wife and daughter are?"

"You're close," Kidman answered. "Go to the elevators and I'll send you to the bottom floor—"

Sebastian frowned at the static noise in his ear, "Kidman?"

"What's going on?" Joseph asked, glancing at him.

"I think we got cut off," Sebastian said, "come on, we're close." They walked down the hall to the elevators that sat by itself. Alone in the corridor, there was no plants or chairs. It was almost eerie to come upon it. The light beside the button was green and Sebastian pressed the one below it and the doors opened. He stepped in cautiously, somehow feeling unnerved. Once Joseph stood beside him and pressed the button to close the doors, they were left in silence.

"Anything?" Joseph asked.

Sebastian took out the earpiece and frowned. He heard the briefest static and placed it back into his ear. Kidman's voice became clearer by the second, and the elevator jolted before moving down in a steady motion.

"Kidman?" Sebastian said, furrowing his brows. "Are you there? Kidman?"

"Yeah," she said, panting light, "I'm here."

"What happened?"

"I was found out, had to deal with it quickly. I'm going to the server room where Ruben, Leslie and Lily are."

"What about Myra?" he asked.

"Free," she said, elation in her voice. "I freed her. She's already on her way. Sebastian, when I was looking through Ruben and Leslie's vitals, I also noticed that STEM is being regulated by Lily."

Confused, Sebastian said, "we already know this."

"I know. What I mean is that she can't be released from STEM unless I'm at the central control. If she's taken out of the main terminal, her mind could splinter from her body and remain in STEM."

"And you know how to do this?" he asked, rubbing his hands together, feeling the sweat building up at the anticipation once the doors open.

"Yes," Kidman confirmed. "What I'm worried about is the MOBIUS agents waiting for us." She sighed, "Myra told me to tell you guys to wait until her signal."

"She has a plan?" he asked, pressing the elevator button to stop the doors from opening automatically.

"She says she does, and I trust her."

 _And I have too._ Sebastian knows that he should trust Myra, and he's learning that what she had to go through for so long, and later being betrayed by the people she works for, was difficult. He hoped to speak to her more about this later.

"Okay," Sebastian said, looking to Joseph who was fixing the gloves he's wearing. "Myra has a plan."

"She does?" he asked, arching a brow.

"Yes. We have nothing to lose."

"Besides our lives and the life of your daughter?" Joseph said, frowning.

He was tense the moment he entered MOBIUS's facility. And he knows somewhat of what Joseph is feeling. He was shoved out of STEM and placed into an environment that left little trust to hold onto. It only made sense for Joseph to even feel mildly less interested in not living as long as he is when he was stuck inside STEM.

"I know that look," Joseph said, shaking his head. "You're thinking too much...about everything."

"And I know you," Sebastian said, placing a hand on Joseph's shoulder, "whatever you had to go through—"

Joseph stepped away, his gaze falling to the floor. "What I had to go through? Like you would know. You weren't inside STEM. You didn't see the destruction, the pain, the agonizing disgust." He wore a pained expression and it left Sebastian helpless of his ordeal.

"I'm sorry, Joseph."

"Don't be," Joseph said, raising his head and meeting Sebastian's eyes, he gave him a small smile. One that said he wasn't sure about what they were going. Maybe it was enough, for now. "I trust you, Sebastian. Even how much _he_ tried convincing me not too."

"He?" Sebastian asked. The doors opened, and the loud static in Sebastian's ear made him wince. "Kidman?"

"Go, Sebastian, I'm in the terminal room."

"What about Myra?" he asked, both he and Joseph ran down the empty white hall. "And where are the MOBIUS agents?"

"Stefano is on the upper levels—"

"Stefano?" he asked, confused. "Why is he here?"

"I don't know," she answered, "but he is, including Theodore. Torres said that Theodore managed to get him through the front door and everything else is history." She chuckled. "They're distracting the agents upstairs, but soon that won't matter, Myra got a hold of the control of MOBIUS agents implants."

"Implants?"

She snickered in his ear, sly and devious. "MOBIUS wanted everyone connected, and The Administrator made sure they were. The implants are in every agent, and Myra controls it now."

Sebastian was about to ask what she meant when they veered down the right hall and came upon a group of soldiers lying on the ground. Blood leaked from their ears and eyes, mouths left gaping of whatever atrocity they went through.

"What about you?" he asked, disgusted by the mess as he reached down and picked up a pistol, Joseph did the same thing.

"Torres got it out of me a few days ago." There was a clicking on her side, and then the doors at the end of the hall began to open with a slow pull, metal scraped together from whatever the soldiers were doing to open it manually.

He and Joseph stepped around the bodies and into the room. Kidman stood by a terminal, a smile quirked at the corner of her lips. She pointed toward the center terminal that was labeled: LILY CASTELLANOS.

"Get her out of there," he said, glancing to the two other terminals to his far left where Joseph was. He was checking both Ruben and Leslie who were situated inside the tubs. Wires connected to them, and their monitors told Sebastian they were both still alive. "Can you pull them out?" Sebastian asked, walking toward the main terminal, placing his hand by his daughter's name.

"What?" Kidman asked, and Sebastian glanced back to see her with a hand against her ear, her brows pinched as her lip curled into a sneer. She turned her attention to Sebastian. "Apparently Stefano and Theodore are here for the STEM...they shot Torres once Myra destroyed the implants in the agents upstairs."

Sebastian shook his head as more issues began to pile. He meandered over to Ruben's terminal and glared down at him, and said, "Of all the things he had to create." He unhooked Ruben, while Joseph did the same to Leslie.

Kidman had done something and their monitors were black, and both men woke up after several seconds, coughing and gasping for air as they were shoved back into their bodies.

Sebastian didn't stay long to coddle them before making his way over to his daughter's terminal.

"Do you truly want to do that?" a voice broke Sebastian's concentration, and he figured it was The Administrator everyone's been talking about. He turned slowly and looked up with Kidman, Joseph, Ruben, and Leslie. They were all stuck under the man's glaring light and shadowed face. "Your machine is brilliant—" he spoke to Ruben, who snarled in his wet clothes, "and your daughter is purity, a brilliant CORE subject—" he said to Sebastian, who glared in return, fingers curling into fists, then The Administrator's gaze went to Kidman, his smile falling into a disgraced frown, "—you could've been more than this, Kid. You could've had everything you ever wanted, everything that was taken from you can be multiplied by thousands, and yet you squander it for...a child...for serial killers and people who don't truly know you."

Kidman scoffed, going back to typing on the terminal. "And working for _you_ , for MOBIUS will somehow right the wrongs that were dealt to me? Bullshit." The main terminal was released, and the hatch began to open.

Sebastian gritted his teeth and placed his hands on the sides, pulling it open as he spotted his daughter's pink pajamas. "Lily!"

"How did you survive?" Sebastian went still at the sound of his wife's voice, and he turned, looking at her as two soldiers held her secure beside The Administrator.

"Myra!" Sebastian called, but she didn't hear him, her gaze was solely on the man beside her.

"Not all agents were secured with the implants. I made sure of that," The Administrator said with a grin, he pulled a gun from the inside of his jacket, pointed it at Myra, and fired.

Sebastian gasped, his eyes widened. He heard Kidman call her name, but his gaze stayed on his wife as her eyes found his, and the soldiers left her lying on the floor.

The Administrator smiled at them, "Looks like you're missing a few members of your group."

Sebastian feared what he would find, still in shock that his wife was shot. He turned around, and found Ruben gone. Leslie was on the floor, holding onto the terminal as he stared at the open door, but what else bothered Sebastian, and made the pain worse, was that Joseph was also missing.

Sebastian sucked in a trembled breath as he turned toward the main terminal, the doors wide open, and his eyes pricked with tears. His daughter wasn't inside the terminal. She was gone, and replaced with a dummy that wore her clothes.

"Lily," he whispered, stumbling back before Kidman grasped his arm, Leslie was already beside them.

"Sebastian," she yelled, pulling him toward the door, a gun still in her hand, "we have to get to Myra!"

"Myra," he repeated, but he felt far away from them, falling into an abyss, chasing after his daughter. She wasn't there, not anywhere inside the facility. They somehow lied to them, they knew Kidman was infiltrating the base. They knew.

Kidman dragged Sebastian and Leslie to the top of the stairs, and through the door. The Administrator and the MOBIUS agents were no longer there, but Myra was lying on the ground, and it broke Sebastian out of his shock. He pulled away from Kidman and hurried over to Myra, falling to his knees beside her.

"Myra," he breathed, "I'm so sorry."

She shook her head, her face pale. "Where is she?"

His heart broke, and his eyes were wet with tears. "She's not here."

Myra closed her eyes, her lip trembled. "Where is my daughter?"

"We're find her, Myra, we'll find her." He held her while Kidman checked her wound and she said it was artificial, that Myra will be okay, but she needs a doctor. They have to leave. Leslie came from the hallway with a gurney, mumbling to himself while glancing back at the doors.

"We'll find Ruben too, and Joseph," Kidman said, helping Myra onto the gurney.

"How?" Sebastian asked, his chest hollowed out after seeing nothing inside the main terminal. He was close, but not close enough to finding his daughter.

Kidman met his eyes, determined and angry. "We just have too."

She's right, Sebastian knew she was right. They have too.

Kidman took Leslie's hand as Sebastian pushed the gurney with his wife on top out of the room, down the empty halls, and past the ones that were filled with dead MOBIUS agents. They learned as they reached the top floor that the entire facility was empty, and Torres's body was missing, they figured MOBIUS had taken her as well.

"They knew," Sebastian said, several hours later as he stood in the waiting room for his wife, Kidman was sitting on the chair, a leg over her knee, a magazine in her hands. "Right in front of our faces."

"Like I said," Kidman told him, "we'll find them."

"How? I never knew they existed, and apparently they don't exactly exist."

"They don't," Kidman said, going back to her magazine. "But I was an agent for many years, so was Myra. We'll find them, and also, Sebastian," she grinned up at him, "you're Krimson City's best detective. If anyone is bound to find them, it's you alone. But with some help, we'll do it faster."

Sebastian nodded, going back to pacing. He knew they had to find them, all of them, and the answers to what is going on, and why Joseph simply left. He also had to keep an eye out on Leslie in case Ruben comes back for him, and where Stefano and Theodore were taken. He had to find them.

He had too.

They have his daughter, and he wasn't going to stop until he brings her home.

* * *

 **NOTES:** I'm always so nervous when I'm ending a story, I usually take months to actually update because I'm an idiot. :/ This was meant to be only fifteen chapters, but I added another. :)

 **Reviews are appreciated. No flames or bashing please. :D**


	16. Chapter 16

"I was close," Ruben snarled, struggling with the zip ties behind his back that kept him secured to the metal chair. His ruined skin ached, and he slumped his shoulders, breathing harsh between clenched teeth.

"And you think I wasn't?" Stefano asked, amusement in his voice as he too was secured. His blue jacket was creased and there were stains of old blood, while his red scarf was missing, including his red leather gloves.

They were facing each other in the white room, one half dim on Ruben's side, and the other light on Stefano's end.

A two-way mirror sat on the side, their reflections mirroring their movements, but their faces were shrouded. Stefano's was hidden by the long dark bang covering one side of his face, while Ruben's white hood concealed his own.

"You should've kept him away," Ruben said, glaring.

Stefano shrugged, not struggling as Ruben was. "I didn't do anything. It was all Sebastian, he wanted to find his _daughter_ and his _wife,_ " he mocked, shaking his head and glaring at the wall.

"Now look what happened," Ruben said, annoyed by their turn of events, "they managed to capture us."

"Hey, they could've killed Sebastian."

"I highly doubt it," Ruben said, "he's a bit more resilient than that. You should know, you spent a day with him."

"A day I like returned, all he did was mope in the dark."

Before Ruben could say anything more spiteful, the door to the room opened, and a man walked in, a hand in his pocket, and the other wrapped around a white cup that smelled of strong coffee. A man that Ruben recognized and growled in frustration too.

"Jimenez."

Stefano arched a brow. "I wasn't always sure who dipped their fingers in MOBIUS's pond."

"More like an ocean, vast and mysterious," Jimenez answered, sneering at Stefano before turning his gaze to Ruben. His expression smoothed out, relaxing as he looked upon his former pupil. "MOBIUS wants full cooperation."

"They got it," Stefano said.

Jimenez's jaw tensed. "Ruben?"

He said nothing, looking away from Jimenez and glaring at Stefano's smirk.

"They want an answer, Ruben."

"And what if I don't give it?" he asked, snarling, "they took everything from me, and you want me to work for them. Again!"

"They will do terrible things to you, Ruben, if you don't cooperate."

"So you're their mediator, are you?" Ruben scoffed, "this is pathetic, but I guess you can fill that role quite nicely, don't you, Jimenez?"

The man tensed more, weighing his words while Ruben glared back at Stefano.

"You'll have your own lab—"

"Bribing was always their motivator." Ruben shook his head, disgusted.

"They'll bring you Leslie."

The name stayed in Ruben's head. The boy with white hair and blue eyes. Frightened and screaming, words flailing from his lips as he ran from everything inside STEM. He coaxed the boy many times, made sure that his memory stayed intact when he wiped his experience of STEM free. He needed to do more testing, but this offer disturbed him, made his skin crawl.

"Is that a yes, Ruben?"

Stefano chuckled from across the room. They were friends for over a year, but he wouldn't consider the man a _friend_. He was someone who knew too much, stared in the eyes of death and found amusement within it. Tasted the blood, the ash, and burning of skin as if it were a meal before he sculpted it into his obsession. His _art_.

If Sebastian lived, he would find them, he would free his remaining family, and bring Stefano and himself to jail. But that's where he would grasp control, he would do something to control Sebastian. He needed someone like him to deter these people, and if they were offering his potential candidate, he wasn't about to say no.

There was something else that also stayed with his plan.

Joseph Oda.

He lived in STEM. And Ruben broke him down, filtered his mind, and made him his.

Pieces. Pawns on a chess board.

Ruben looked up at Jimenez, and said, "Fine. I'll work for them, again. But I want Leslie Withers."

Jimenez smiled, and there was nothing warm about it. "You will have him, but there is something that they want first."

Ruben frowned. "And what is that?"

"Your inevitable cooperation within STEM."

"What?" he asked, confused by his words as Jimenez raised his arm and he held a smooth black gun, the barrel thin, and he fired it at Stefano.

He gasped, his body jerking, his eyes rolling into his head before he slumped back against the chair.

"No," Ruben said, struggling once more, "you can't, you can't!"

Jimenez smiled, pulling the hood from Ruben's head, and he had a split moment of seeing his reflection, the bare scarred head of his trauma, before he felt the pinprick of the dart puncturing his neck.

He let out a trembled breath as his body grew heavy, his eyes were hard to open as the lights dimmed around him.

"You agreed to this, Ruben, your cooperation within STEM will allow us to analyze you and Stefano in a closed environment." He chuckled as his words faded, and Ruben cursed him. "We'll find Leslie Withers, and we'll bring him in. What we will do with him is beyond what you'll control."

The last thing Ruben thought of was Sebastian. He knew he'll find them, he knew the part of his plan will work. All he had to do was wait, and waiting within STEM could take a long time, but Ruben was patient.

* * *

 **NOTES:** I decided to write a sequel. I'm not sure when I'll write it, possibly sometime in 2019. I feel this story should continue, and that the setting will be within STEM this time. There will also be other POV's besides Sebastian's, I'm thinking, Ruben, Stefano, Leslie, and Kidman.

I tried my best to add references of coffee since I love coffee. :D And that will continue in the sequel.

I really enjoyed writing this story, even though there were times when I stopped writing for a few weeks or months.

If you want another TEW fic, I have Formless which consists of the pairing Ruvik x Leslie. If you don't like that pairing, I have several reader x Stefano, Kidman, or Joseph fics. :)

Thanks for sticking around and reading.

 **Reviews are appreciated. No flames or bashing please.**


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